A Rumor in St Petersburg
by dustyVHS
Summary: A spontaneous invitation to spend a week in Russia with Kai makes Tyson determined to uncover what makes his team captain tick. However what Tyson bites off is more than he might be able to chew, and more is on the line now than just dirty little secrets
1. Nearly Left Behind

A/n: I've decided to explore the realm of the Tyson/Kai shipping. Hooray for expanding my horizons!

Disclaimer: Yaoi fanfiction. Don't own Beyblade.

Beta Reader: None

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><p><strong>A Rumor in St. Petersburg<strong>  
><em>One — Nearly Left Behind<em>

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><p>Ever played the game Mahjong? No? Well it's confusing as hell, and a certain world champion Beyblader doesn't recommend playing it.<p>

"Tyson, you can't move that piece." Ray says, just as the navy-haired teen was about to reach for one close to his hand.

"Why the hell not? It's on top, isn't it?" The dragon growled. "I can use this wheels of three with that wheels of three and cancel them out."

Ray rolled his golden eyes and took a deep, silent breath. "Because, Tyson, those "wheels" at the bottom, right-hand tower of the fortress are surrounded by two other pieces that you have to cancel out first." To explain his instruction in action, he cancelled out a pair of eights with a 'M' on it. The game was like second nature to the tiger. "See? Just like that."

"Gah, you make it look so easy!"

"It's not that hard of a game to learn, Tyson." Kenny mentioned, sitting on the floor and typing away at Dizzi as usual.

"Hah, easy for you to say, Mr. Genius."

"Just pay attention."

"Quit mocking me Chief, you're just too smart is all." While Tyson was distracted arguing with the brunette, Ray went on ahead and cancelled five more pairs of pieces in his favor. "What the heck?"

He raised a single black eyebrow, trying to hold back a grin. "Didn't we say our max limit was five pairs per round if we spotted them?"

"For _me_, because I suck! It's not fair if you do it; you're the Mahjong guru!" Ray's proud grin finally broke through, and Tyson stuck his tongue out at him and cancelled out two pairs all on his own, fast as lightning. "Hah, beat that!" Doing as told, Ray cancelled out five more pairs...again. "Screw you, man."

"What can I say, Tyson? I am the 'Mahjong guru': I can't lose to a novice like you."

"Well, at least don't demolish me like that. That's harsh." It was a well-known fact in the Kinomiya household that ever since the Bladebreakers began living there, they enjoyed pulling Tyson's string at things he lacked talent in (to put it nicely). It was their way of jokingly getting back at the Japanese bluenette for making fun of them whenever he won a beybattle or for his title as world champion.

Tyson of course knew this, and while it bugged him he didn't mind it deep down. He didn't mind being known that he was only good at beyblading, eating, and making a fool out of himself (the last one was something Hilary added to the list). According to the dragon, the girl just didn't understand that he liked a cheery atmosphere. If the mood wasn't a happy one, he'd create it himself. Even if he made a fool out of himself in the process.

"So Ray," Kenny casually changed topic. "What's this big party in Hong Kong that you have to go to?"

"It's a wedding." The Neko-jin smiled, paying close attention to what Tyson would do next... "A friend of mine back from the village. He left back when he was twelve for the city like me, and he's been living in the city ever since. He never lost touch with the village, though, and he and his fiancée decided to split the wedding ceremony into what they've, originally enough, dubbed as the city part and the country part."

"Wait, this guy's as old as us?" The Japanese teen blinked, surprised.

"No, he's about ten years older than me. He tutored me a lot and taught me how to Beyblade. The entire White Tiger team is kind of like his little siblings, really. So we're all participating in the ceremony."

"That's nice of him." Kenny grinned, closing his laptop and watching as Ray and Tyson chatted and played the "stupid game:" it was Tyson's turn, and for the life of him he couldn't spot a pair to cancel out. He promised himself that once this was over, he was never playing this game again. "You paired with Mariah?"

The blacknette shook his head. "Nope. She's with Kevin. Han let Salima be my pair, for the sake of keeping couples together and avoid any potential drama. Which, knowing Mariah and Salima as well as I do, they would start some stupid fight if they were swapped."

"Oh, Salima's going with you? Cool." Tyson commented, smiling when he found his next move and took it. "Is she flying with you tomorrow?" The tiger nodded.

"It's kinda funny how all these travel plans showed up at the same time, huh?" Kenny chuckled, biting his lip to not laugh when Ray once again schooled the dragon's ass in his next move. "I guess it's a good thing, though. Its better that we take just one week off for personal vacations than if we all took them off at different intervals. Could you imagine if your wedding invite was this week, Hilary left for her Grandparents the week after, and then Max and I went to New York the week after _that_? We'd lose so much training time!"

"Haha,you got that right, Chief," The brown-eyed champ chuckled. Then something his friend said dawned on him, and the pieces began to click in his head. "Hold up a second. What do you _mean _you and Max are going to New York?"

Ray raised a questioning "You didn't know?" eyebrow at him; Kenny sweated and dry-swallowed under Tyson's anger. "M-Max didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" He asked and then hollered, "MAAX! Get over here!" As soon as the blonde showed up in the doorway, Tyson pointed an accusing finger at him. "You're going to New York?!"

The blue-eyed teen in a sleeveless t-shirt and running sweats nodded slowly. "Yeaah."

"And you're taking Chief?!"

"...Yeeeeah."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Tyson demanded standing and knocking over the Mahjong game accidentally. A glint of fleeting happiness appeared in his eyes at what he'd done. Oh well, game over.

"I did...sorta." He fidgeted. "Remember three nights ago at dinner how I said my mom called?"

The dragon tried recalling exactly what his best friend was talking about. So much stuff happened in the Granger house- fights, pranks, beybattles, and other teenage nonsense- that it was hard to remember what happened when. "Yeah? Dude, I thought you meant like on the phone: calling. Not a 'Hey Max, it's Judy; come up to New York for a week and bring Kenny with you and ditch Tyson' kind of call!"

Max shrugged and smiled innocently. "Oops?"

"Why does Kenny get to go and not me?" The boy then frowned. "I mean, don't take this the wrong way Chief, but I'm your best friend, Max. Don't I get first dibs?"

The blonde boy shared Tyson's frown. "Well, what happened is that my mom's developing some new software that can be used for beyblading and she wanted me to run some trials with it for her. She said that she pictured it to be a perfect advancement for the Bladebreakers, and that if she finished it in time she'd let us be the first to use it. She also thought that Kenny would enjoy working on something big like a new program and battle system for the team, so she invited him up with me." He explained. His frown deepened when he saw that Tyson was only getting angrier.

"Thanks for telling me." The dragon growled, crossing his arms and looking away from everyone.

Max felt extremely guilty. "I'm really sorry, Tyson. I'm not lying." He apologized. "But...look on the bright side. You're not going to be completely alone. Kai and Hilary will still be around, and there's that kid that breaks in every Wednesday to fight a match with you. Di...Diachi, I think his name was?"

"Hah, Daichi's not my friend, he's just an annoying little pest that doesn't know the meaning of personal space and won't stop bugging me to fight him, even after I wiped the floor with him six times." Tyson scoffed, glaring at the window. "And maybe you haven't heard yet, because apparently we all suck at communicating things to each other on this team, but Hilary's packing to go visit her Grandparents this week too." Then the champ began laughing, sarcasm laced in his voice. "And Kai? Kai's never around! He's Kai: he only shows up when he feels like kicking our asses, training our asses, saving our asses, or for a beybattle!"

Ray was going to jut in and defend Kai's case, but Tyson brought up a pretty good point. As far as he recalled, those really were the only times Kai made his presence known to his team. Kenny didn't bother arguing with Tyson like this, because arguing with a hot-headed Tyson was as good as using ice to melt butter.

"You know what? Go ahead, I don't care! I'm perfectly fine with spending a lonely, crappy week here by myself! Go have fun at your parties and with high-tech toys!" Scrambling to his feet, Tyson stormed out of the dojo leaving three silent and guilty teammates in his wake. And for the rest of the day not a peep was heard from Tyson, and the house was silent.

In his bedroom, the dragon vented his steam by completely trashing his bed. He threw blankets, bedding, and pillows every which way. He jumped up and down on the mattress and stomped on it. He pounded and punched pillows to his heart's content. He abused it all until he was too exhausted to move anymore. After that, he spent what felt like hours staring at his ceiling and watching the sunlight as it changed colors with the day's progression. In reality, he spent a good two hours that way, with not a stable thought floating through his mind. On occasion, he found himself wondering why his entire team was ditching him to do exciting things, and why he was singled out with nothing to do. But those thoughts were only fleeting.

By late afternoon, Tyson was catching up on his latest Shonen Jump magazines and reading comics, one of his favorite pastimes. The navy-blue haired teen was making a rough sketch of a renowned blonde ninja when a familiar silhouette of a shadow passed through his bedroom wall against the sunset orange that shone in. He stopped scratching his pencil on the paper, listening closely for any sounds in the room two doors down. A faint click of an opening doorknob reached his ears and the Japanese teen smiled.

Springing to his feet, Tyson all but dashed to Kai's bedroom door, finding it ajar, and slowed to a stop just outside it. He regained his breath, toned it down back to normal, and acted as if he didn't just run down the hall to the Russian's room.

"Kai?" Tyson inquired, giving only a single knock on the door before intruding. "I saw you coming in just now. Where've you-?" He stopped when he realized that Kai was on the phone with someone, speaking in his native tongue. Since he wasn't in a hurry, Tyson stepped in and leaned on the door frame, fixing the hat on his head and crossing his arms loosely over his chest. He watched with a mix of amazement and confusion as Kai talked. Amazement because he'd never seen Kai talk so much at a single period of time. Confused because he didn't understand a lick of Russian. Tyson was more likely to understand Latin before he understood Russian.

Kai glanced over his shoulder from the closet and made no reaction to Tyson's entrance. The phoenix continued talking on the phone, rummaging through his belongings and carelessly tossing his articles of clothing over his shoulder and on the bed. The clothes, with surprisingly accurate aim, all landed in or near the vicinity of a suitcase. It was then that Tyson took notice of the suitcase, and next to it an airline ticket, passports, and other documents needed of air travel. Knowing he probably shouldn't, the navy-haired teen reached over and took the ticket to read. It was s flight for St. Petersburg, with a connection in Dubai...for tomorrow.

"How thrilling," He sarcastically sighed to himself. Tyson's previous anger bubbled at in the pit of his stomach, but it wasn't as terrible as before. Since he'd vented, most of that previous rage was replaced with sadness. Everyone was going away for the week. Even Kai.

The dragon failed to realize that Kai was off the phone and standing over him, not too happy with his snooping, but the boy didn't care. Looking up at his captain, Tyson gave Kai his ticket without a hassle. "You're going away for the week too?"

"That would be the case, if the ticket isn't enough of a hint already." Kai smoothly replied.

"Awesome. And what cool thing are you gonna do? Wedding party? Science lab tour for beyblading? Beach getaway with grandparents in the countryside?" Tyson wondered, frowning and pulling his hat off his head. He played idly with the lid, not making eye contact with the Russian. "Nah, yours is probably much cooler than that. A Russian space-station party for the queen. Or, or- here's a good one- meeting the president and racing in turbo-rocket cars that somehow relate to beyblading! Aw, who am I kidding...?"

Kai was intrigued, and his facial expression ended up betraying this to Tyson. While the champion wasn't paying attention, one of the phoenix's handsome eyebrows arched in question, and his head fell ever so slightly to the side. "You're not pestering me to find out where I'm going. You're not making up stupid excuses and death threats to prevent me from leaving. You're not asking me to come." He stated, ruling out items on Tyson's usual list of whining and complaining with him.

"It's just that Ray's going to Hong Kong for some big, fancy wedding of a friend of his and he gets to take his girlfriend with him. Obviously he's going to show off about it, but whatever. Once I get a girlfriend, she'll be five HUNDRED times hotter than Salima and then I'll show her off to him.

"Then Hilary shows up beginning of the week saying that she's gotta go visit her grandparents for some wedding anniversary of their own!" Tyson said, now ranting. "Because apparently living together for sixty years is a big landmark in a relationship." Kai mentally rolled his eyes at Tyson's carelessness. "But I honestly didn't care too much about that. It's just Hilary, right? Half the time she's bugging the crap out of us. But now Max and Kenny just told me they're going to New York! They didn't even invite me! And now you're going to Moscow!"

"St. Petersburg," Kai corrected with a hint of an accent.

"What the heck am I supposed to do all week with everyone gone? Train by myself all day? Hang out with Daichi? Bingo nights with Gramps?" The teen asked, frantically flailing his arms. "Homework? I don't do homework! I don't even remember the last time I went to school!"

Kai caught both of Tyson's wrists and the Japanese beyblading champ dropped his hat on the floor. Crimson eyes locked with chocolate brown, and the phoenix's cool demeanor got the dragon to relax. "I get it. No need for theatrics."

Staring back at crimson, Tyson's shoulders slumped and he let out a sigh of defeat. "Sorry Kai, it's not your fault. I shouldn't be yelling at you about it anyway." Pulling away from his team captain, Tyson quietly slipped out of the room. "Have fun in Russia. I'll see you at dinner."

The dual-blue haired Russian blinked away his shock, watching Tyson trudge his way back to his bedroom and shut the door behind him. His behavior really surprised him, to say the least. Tyson was typically crass, and held up an argument until he got exactly what he wanted- that argument would use any methods possible: crying, yelling, anything. Yet here was Kai, with no pounding headache from screaming, no urge to punch something from crocodile tears, and not pissed from arguing. Simply shocked.

He picked up the red and blue hat Tyson forgot from his floor and fixed it. He gave it a good look-over, then briefly glanced back at Tyson's bedroom door from the corner of his eye. Shutting his door, the phoenix set the hat on his bed beside his luggage and continued to pack his belongings.

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><p>At dinner, things were...quiet, to say the least.<p>

Grandpa was oblivious to the tension, so he noisily ate away at Mandarin-style curry to his heart's content. Tyson was sitting beside his Grandfather and noiselessly poking around his food, not shoveling it all in one heap into his mouth. Hilary had dropped by around the middle of the afternoon to spend the rest of the day with the Bladebreakers and was sitting beside Tyson, absolutely stunned with the dragon's lack of appetite. Beside the girl was Kenny, drinking a tall glass of water, then Max, who was dousing his curry in a hot-mustard sauce Ray made to go along with the dish just for Max. He knew the blonde absolutely loved the condiment, so the least he could do was make it match the food he was eating. Lastly, the Neko-jin himself sat between Max and an empty seat eating his own cooking. Kai hadn't shown up yet, so they began without him.

"Ray my man, this has got to be your best work yet!" Gramps complemented, taking another hearty serving of curry and rice. "I could eat this hot stuff everyday!"

Ray chuckled as a grin danced on his lips. "Thanks, Grandpa. I don't make spicy food that often because not everyone's as fanatic about it as I am. But I'm glad to know that."

"Dude, you could make this everyday and my tongue could burn off, but I'd still eat it!" The elder man nodded, digging into his bowl once again.

"Now I know where Tyson gets it from." Max lightly joked, getting a few chuckles from the group and boisterous laughter from Grandpa. Tyson continued pushing his food around without a peep.

"Ugh, that's it!" Hilary snapped, setting her tableware down and pointedly glaring at Tyson. "What is with you today? Are you sick or something?" Kenny tugged at the girl's baby-pink sleeve, hoping to clue her in and stop her from talking too much. Obviously, it wasn't going to happen.

Eating half a spoonful of curry, Tyson blinked up in curiosity, pointing the spoon at himself. "Are you talking to me?"

Hilary's jaw dropped, "Yes you! What's _wrong_ with you? You haven't said or done anything stupid since I got here, you're barely eating, and you're not wearing your baseball hat!"

"Pfft, Hil, that's ridiculous. Of course I'm wearing my hat..." The Japanese teen rolled his eyes, patting the crown of his head with confidence only to find it bare of a hat. "Huh, well whaddya know? Where'd my hat go...?"

"Tyson, for real, I know you're bummed, but this is borderline insanity for you." The brunette with pixie-short hair said.

"Sure, you can say that, because you're not the one that's being left behind for a week." The navy-haired bluenette sulked, messily mixing the hot contents of his bowl together into a mess of curry. "You're special."

Just as Hilary was about to retort with a not-so-merciful comment of her own, Kai came into the dinner room and walked straight up to Tyson. The red and blue hat in his hand, he sat it down on the champ's head and slid it down over his eyes. "Hey Kai, what gives?" Fixing his hat just as he liked it, Tyson was surprised to see a thick blue-and-white paper envelope in front of him, larger than usual mail envelopes.

"Pack your things," The Russian told him, prompting the teen to take the envelope. The ever-curious boy did. He opened it and found his passport and an airline ticket inside. "The plane leaves at seven tomorrow morning."

A bright smile appeared on Tyson's face as he read over the information on the ticket. "Is this for me?" Kai didn't answer the question; Kai never answered stupid questions. Hilary, Kenny, Max, and Ray leaned in to see what the ticket read. "What are we doing?"

"You'll know when you get there." The bluenette replied. He took the dish set out at his dinner place, served his meal, and returned to his bedroom. "Check-in says to be an hour and a half early at the least: don't make me regret this by sleeping in late right off the bat."

The giddy smile Tyson wore didn't leave, it only grew larger. "Aye, Aye, Captain Kai!" He could swear he heard the phoenix groan at the silly names he teased him with, but somehow he knew he'd slide from that one.

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><p>An: Kai being generous? IT'S A CLONE! Haha, I kid. Kai can be generous when he wants to. Remember that adorable, ungrateful cat from season three? I rest my case.

Review please! It's greatly appreciated!


	2. A Mission at Hand

A/n: Thanks so much for all the reviews, story favorites, and story alerts from chapter one alone! I take it I'm doing pretty decent for my first Kai/TYson so far.

By the way, this fiction takes place in the V-Force timeline. That's the one I've decided on.

Disclaimer: Yaoi fanfiction. Don't own Beyblade.

Beta Reader: None

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><p><strong>A Rumor in St. Petersburg<strong>  
><em>Two — A Mission at Hand<em>  
><em>[Tyson's POV]<em>

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><p>Four-o-clock in the morning is an unholy hour to be up at. Why do people invent having to wake up so early for work? Why can't we all just agree on starting work at ten and wake up at eight? The world would be so much of a better place. But I'm so proud of myself, because today I woke up at four all by myself, before my alarm clock even went off. And why's that? Because I'm going on vacation, duh!<p>

I was kind of surprised when Kai gave me a plane ticket for Russia last night. I mean, I knew that he knew I was bummed about not going anywhere, but I didn't think he'd actually do anything about it. Usually he won't even go through the trouble of saying "bless you" when one of us sneeze; no way did I think he'd go through the trouble of getting me a ticket to fly with him just to make me feel better.

"...Unless he's doing this to his own advantage...somehow..." Max muses, taking a large gulp of his iced coffee while we wait for the rest of the team to pick up their orders. "Nah. Kai wouldn't stoop so low. He'd just tell you to suck it up. I guess he really is doing this out of the goodness of his heart."

I nod in agreement, also thinking hard about this entire situation. Then it dawns on me: "Oh my God!" I gasp, "Kai has a heart!" Max promptly slaps his hand over my mouth before I can say anything else.

"Could you be any louder, Tyson?" He hisses, and we both glance over our shoulders to make sure Kai didn't hear. Thankfully, he and Ray are still chatting away about whatever at the pick-up counter. Returning Max's don't-be-so-loud look with my see-there's-nothing-to-worry-about look, I blow a raspberry in his hand so he'll get it off my mouth, grin in triumph, and slurp away at my own iced coffee while he complains about my spit on his fingers. "You're disgusting."

"At least I don't pull wet willies on my teammates." I retort, and my blonde best friend evilly smirks.

"You can't say crap about it because you laugh every time." Then, pulling me off to the side by the rack of boxed donuts, the blonde asks. "You really don't have the slightest clue about why Kai's going to Russia?"

I shake my head, "If I knew, you'd be the first person to know, Maxie."

He frowns again, "Kai didn't say _any_thing?" I once again shake my head, and on my right Kenny shows up holding two cups of steaming hot drinks.

"What're you two whispering about here in the corner?" He inquires.

"Noooothing." I tease, trying to take one of the cups. "Thanks, Chief!"

"It's Hilary's, not yours. She and Salima went to the bathroom to put on some makeup or something." He says, swerving the cup away from me. I pout and take a bite out of my breakfast sandwich. Killjoy.

"She can always buy another, she's got cash."

"Oh really, Tyson?" Speaking of the she-devil herself, she shows up behind me with a smack against the back of my head. I yelp out in pain and give her a glower and stick out my tongue at her. She does the same and thanks Kenny for holding onto her beverage. Seeing that Salima wasn't with her, I glance back to find that she went to join Ray and Kai at the order line.

"So what're you guys plotting here in the corner, completely under the radar?" The brunette asks sarcastically.

"Tyson's mission." Max smirks. We all give the American a puzzled glance. He gestures for us to all follow him to an empty table and we sit down, huddling close together in a circle. "Kay, Tyson, here's the deal," Max starts, taking ten sugar packets and pouring them all into his iced coffee. "Kai's going back home for something and for the first time ever we'll have someone on the inside to tell us exactly what his life away from us is like. You!"

Kenny and Hilary share his smile, nodding in agreement. "Hell, you'll actually get to see what Kai's like since he's always gone!" My bossy friend agrees.

I have my doubts, and my expression reflects that. "I hate to burst your bubble, you guys, but what makes you think Kai's gonna act any different then how he acts here?"

"Well, for starters, Kai's too young to live alone, so he obviously has to live with his parents there." Kenny says, and we all fall quiet for a minute. I'm willing to bet they all thought the exact same thing I just did: does Kai even have parents? I mean, he was living with his douchebag grandfather Voltaire until fairly recently.

"Ok, well he still has to live with some sort of relative back in Russia if his parents aren't around anymore." Ray corrects, joining the table with Salima. We squeezed to make room for the couple, but since it still wasn't enough Ray pulled her to sit on his lap. "Whatever the case may be, he's bound to act at least a little different to them than how he acts with us. He won't be able to hide that from you once you're there, Tyson."

"Where's Kai?" We chorus curiously.

"Bathroom." Salima tells at us, taking a sip of her tea and offering Ray a sip. "We heard you guys conspiring without us and decided to join. Well, Ray did. It's not my team, so I'm staying out of this disaster in the making."

"So are you up for it, Tyson buddy?" Max pipes up again, his freckled cheeks dimpled with a smile. "Will you act as the Bladebreaker undercover agent and learn all of Kai's dirty secrets for us?"

"And Oovoo chat with us every night for updates!" Hilary threw in for good measure.

"Skype us as a backup if Oovoo doesn't work." Kenny added. "We'll also need to figure out a time, Max and I are gonna be on the other side of the planet."

"And if the internet connection back at White Tigers hills sucks and I can't log in—." Ray started.

"Which it probably will." Salima teasingly interjected.

"—Email us." Ray finished with a Cheshire cat grin.

I smile from ear-to-ear, high fiving everyone. "It's a deal! What should we call this mission?"

"How about Mission Phoenix?" Hilary suggested.

"Too obvious." We rejected.

"Mission Vacation?" Kenny thought.

"Too boring." We rejected.

"Mission Russia?"

"Mission Don't Get Caught?"

"Mission Impossible?"

Everyone turned to Salima, who was licking her lips from the tea. "Just because I don't approve doesn't mean I don't want to give name ideas. Doesn't the latest Mission Impossible movie have a Russian segment anyways?"

"Sally, you're a genius!" Ray cooed, giving his girlfriend a tight hug. She squirmed in his grip and muttered something about hating the nickname Sally, but giggled nonetheless.

"That's perfect!" I grinned. "Mission Impossible it is!" I rejoice, fist pounding Max two or three times and accidentally spilling Hilary's coffee. "Sorry Hilary!

"TYSON!"

"I said I was sorry!" I apologize, ducking away from her hand as she smacked me. From the corner of my eye I saw Kai leave the bathroom and head straight for us. He was on his cell phone. "Guys, shush, Kai's coming! As he approached, we heard him speaking in Russian, and just as he reached the table he hung up, taking my donut. "Kai, that's mine!"

He raised a challenging eyebrow at me, biting down into the donut anyway. "Not anymore." He shrugged, his voice thick with a Russian accent. I blinked twice in surprise; I think that's the first time I've heard Kai with an accent. It actually sounds pretty cool. He sounds even meaner than usual! ...Wait, how's that cool?

"Aren't you guys gonna be late for your plane?" Ray asked, nodding at the clock. "It leaves at seven, right? It should be boarding right now."

Kai nodded, pushing my hat down over my face so I couldn't see. "Gah, what gives?"

"Grab your stuff and let's go, idiot. If I miss my flight because of you you're dead." The dual-blue haired Bladebreaker captain announced. I huffed and fixed my hair and hat, stood, and grabbed my carry-on. Kai had already left the cafe and was walking down the terminal hall.

"Talk to you guys later, have fun! Kai, wait up!"

"Bye Tyson!" My team called to me.

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><p>So far, I've rounded up the three biggest questions of my trip that I want answered. One, what is Kai planning on doing in St. Petersburg when he lives in Moscow? Two, what secret plans does he have in store for our vacation? And three, what the heck does this brochure say?<p>

"Hey Kai, what does this say?" I ask, holding the brochure off to the side so that the bluenette sitting next to me can read what I'm pointing to. He's deeply distracted reading one of the travel magazines the airplane provides, so his answer to me is a handy Russian travel guide and dictionary built in one. "Really Kai?" I give him a dead, un-humored look. "Would it kill you to look at what I'm pointing to and just say it?"

"You'd be surprised," He smoothly replies, his crimson eyes never tearing away from the page.

"You've got to be kidding me here." I roll my eyes, giving him an inpatient shove on the shoulder. "Kai, just tell me what this says!" I whine, frowning and glowering. Suppressing a growl, the phoenix looks at the brochure briefly before returning to his magazine. "It says Rossnya."

I blink, "So what does that mean?"

"That's what the dictionary is for."

"Kai, would you just-?" I snarl, messing up my bangs in frustration then pulling them. "Gah, forget it! I'll do it myself." I mutter, putting down the brochure and flipping through the glossy pages of the book to find what I want. "Why do you even have this dictionary anyway?" I inquire, getting no answer. "You _speak_ Russian." Again, the crimson-eyed teen doesn't hint that he's about to answer anytime soon. "Or are you talking gibberish that just _happens_ to sound a lot like Russian, thus making us all _think_ you speak it when you don't?"

"I'm surprised you can think of such a devious little plan...what little intelligence you have shines on occasion." He finally says, casually flipping a page of the magazine and running his eyes through its contents. "I got the dictionary for you, so you won't pester me with inane questions like this all the time. Use it."

"Gee, thanks." If he hadn't made it sound like such a pain, I'd actually think of the gesture as a thoughtful one. "What're we gonna do in St. Petersburg?" He gives me the silent treatment once, turning the page and looking at a new article with considerable intrigue, and I snarl and decide to leave him alone. "Fine, don't talk. You don't have to pretend to be so interested in stupid air travel magazines. We all know how pointless those are." I turn my attention back to my previous dilemma of translating and begin flipping back and forth through the dictionary in search of the word I'm looking for. It takes three times longer to do because of the fact that I'm looking up a word in a foreign language with a foreign alphabet. Russian is stupid. Stupid, stupid, impossible to understand alien talk. I mean, just look at these letters! Backwards Rs, weird-looking As, and this thing that looks like an X with an I through the middle of it. How the heck does that make sense?

"I live in St. Petersburg." Oh cool, cool. Thanks for answering, Kai. I'll just forget the fact that you answered five hours late.

Whoa, hold the phone!

"In St. Petersburg? But in the first world tournament I thought you told us you lived in Moscow." I ask, trying to clear up confusion. "That's why you didn't like going there: bad childhood, Balkov Abbey, blah, blah, blah—the stuff you never want to talk about." His lack of a response finally bites my nerves, and I swipe away his magazine and hold it hostage behind my back. The phoenix's crimson eyes bore into my own in an unhappy stare. I swing the magazine temptingly, "No answers, no reading." I sing.

"You're behaving extremely immaturely and rude for a tag-along guest of mine." Kai sneers, his stoic face remaining placidly still. I grinned my trademark grin and the bluenette sighs, blowing his bangs out of his eyes. "I never said that I lived in Moscow during that tournament, Tyson. I was born and raised in St. Petersburg until my grandfather won custody of me, where I moved to the waste of space and money known as his mansion. I then lived there for three years before I moved down to Japan in my last year of his custody. I met Mr. Dickenson shortly after moving to Japan, which began the vagabond phase of my life where I had no set living place. I stayed at my grandfather's mansion; I stayed at the BBA; I stayed at hotels...wherever I felt like it. And then I met you," He states with a slight glower after his decidedly bitter story, "and lost to you in the tournament that made me captain of the Bladebreakers. And I've been, more or less, living with you ever since."

I listened closely to every word the Russian said. I think this the most I've ever heard Kai talk...ever. The information processes in my mind quickly because of my excitement: Kai speaks! "So...If your grandfather _won_ custody over you..." I try to find the right words to form my question. "...But I thought you were an orphan."

Now Kai does glare at me, "Goes to show how much you guys care about getting to know your teammates," and tries to snatch back his magazine.

"Well, it's not like it's our fault that we don't know. You're the anti-social one that won't talk." I wittily retort, keeping the magazine at bay. He searches my glove compartment for the same copy, and to my luck my seat doesn't have one. He hisses what I'm assuming is a swear in alien talk. "Tell me or you don't get it."

"As soon as we get there, you're getting your face shoved in snow that's twenty feet deep." He growls.

"I like snow." I smirk back, drumming my fingers on the magazine. With impossibly fast reflexes his hand latches onto the other end of the rolled up magazine, and I keep a firm hold of it so that he doesn't take it away.

Letting out another angry sigh (I swear to God, I'm pushing his buttons so much right now. I'm surprised he hasn't bitten my head off yet) Kai finally makes eye contact with me. "I'm not an orphan. Satisfied? And before you can think of anything else to ask I'm drawing the line right here. I don't wish to disclose my family drama with you. Not now, not ever." His crimson eyes reinforce the fact that his decision is final, and I reluctantly let go of the magazine. Content, Kai returns to his pastime of reading pointless sales and I go back to trying to translate gibberish. I find a promising section of the dictionary and scroll through every word on the page. Then something dawned on me.

"Hey, wait a second!" I grin, turning to the Russian again. "You called me your guest!" From the corner of his eye, Kai raises an eyebrow. "I'm really a guest? Not some other mean and insulting name?"

"O yob tvoju mat." The blunette sighs loudly through clenched teeth. He gets up from his seat and heads down the aisle to the bathroom. The lady sitting across the aisle from us gives me a strange look. (1)

"He never treats me this nicely!" I explain with enthusiasm. She nods slowly, then puts on her headphones and proceeds to ignore me. Well, at least Kai answered one of my questions. I glance down at the dictionary and find the word I was looking for. Yay!

'Rossnya': 'Russia'.

Rossnya means Russia?

"What the hell, Kai! You can't even tell me that Rossnya and Russia mean the same thing!" I yell down the plane corridor. The flight attendants tell me to stop disturbing other passengers and I sulk in my seat, throwing the dictionary in my backpack by my feet. Stupid Kai and his stupid Russian!

For the next few hours, I try entertaining myself in various ways. I play word search. I looked through in-flight magazines I couldn't understand because they were all in stupid '_Ross_nyan'. I read my latest Shonen Jump subscription I brought with me. I asked for snacks. I drew Ichigo from Bleach getting his ass kicked by Rukia on a napkin square in pen. I watched Go, Diego, Go! and Blues Clues. I asked for snacks again. I looked through the Russian dictionary again and found the word vagina. I said vagina to Kai in a shit Russian accent and got smacked in the face for it with a magazine. I watched Bride Wars. I asked for pepper spray to burn that terrible movie from my retinas. They didn't have any, so I settled for more snacks. And I tried getting Kai to talk.

Over,

And over,

And over,

And over again.

…It didn't work.

Boredom gets the better of me. And after hours of uneventful air travel and a plane switch in Dubai, I roll over in my cramped seat to get some shut eye. I rest my pillow against the wall by the window, wrap myself in the poor, tiny excuse of a blanket the plane provides, and find a comfortable position.

"G'night, Kai." I say. When I look over my shoulder, I see that Kai's already gone to sleep. He's so quiet I didn't even realize. I mumble a "whatever" and dive face first into my pillow.

"Goodnight, Tyson." The dual-blue haired teen behind me softly mumbles, half asleep. I grin to myself and turn in for the night.

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><p>1.) O yob tvoju mat: "Oh fuck your mother." It's a Russian phrase that is the equivalent to the English "Oh my fucking God."<p>

A/n: The plot thinnens...

Review please! They keep authors happy and motivated, which in turn keep readers happy and motivated!


	3. A Mom, a Dad, and a butler too

A/n: Thank you readers for the sweet reviews! I'm glad to see that you guys really are enjoying this story so far. It makes me happy! I'm probably going to regret having two back-to-back updates in a week, but screw it. Like I said, your reviews have made me happy. And happy makes me excited. And excited makes me write.

And to reviewer **kaillinne arami**, the answer is yes. They will be here very soon.

Before anyone complains about someone (Kai) being out-of-character from here on out, allow me to justify myself by saying this: I have no choice but to make Kai talk more than he usually does. He's hosting Tyson at his house for the entirety of this story. There's also another element coming in next chapter that's going to make this clear. And besides…the entire point of this fiction is to discover the REAL Kai.

Disclaimer: Yaoi fanfiction. Don't own Beyblade.

Beta Reader:..None (offers, anyone?)

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><p><strong>A Rumor in St. Petersburg<strong>  
><em>Three — A Mom, a Dad, and a butler too<em>  
><em>[Tyson's POV]<em>

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><p>"Tyson…" Yes, Beyoncé? "…Tyson…" Beyoncé, is that a strawberry shortcake cheesecake? For me? Girl, you shouldn't have! But really, can I have a slice of that? "…Tyson…" Beyoncé, you're starting to sound awfully masculine all of a sudden. I don't know why, but it's still kind of hot. Feed me my cheesecake now, you sexy MILF you!<p>

"Tyson!"

I fall out of my dream with a pillow to the face, tumbling to the small floor space between my seat and the seat in front of me. Moaning in pain, I groggily glance up to find Kai with the weapon of the crime still in his hands. He sighs and rolls his eyes at me. "Did Beyoncé's cheesecake taste good, idiot?"

"What gives, Kai? Ever heard of gently waking someone up?" I complain, pulling myself up back into my seat. Rubbing sleep out of my eyes, I finally realize that the plane passengers are grabbing their carry-ons and filing out of the aircraft. Confused, I open my window and the strong rays of sunset blast me in the face with no mercy. Before slamming the window shut again, I saw the outline of the airport. "We landed already?"

Kai nods, tossing me my backpack, and retrieving his next. "Almost ten minutes ago. And I've been trying to wake you up for twenty minutes without resorting to violence."

I snort a chuckle to myself. "Well that's a first. Ouch!" I complain when he smacks me with the pillow again. I glare at him. "And for your information, I was about to eat a piece of Beyoncé's cheesecake until I was rudely awakened!"

Kai let out a sigh of irritation: his face said 'I regret bringing him along already'. "Y'know, for a guest you're really trying my patience, Kinomiya."

"Yeah, and you're a really rude host for assaulting me with a pillow."

The phoenix scoffed, "Spare me, idiot, I've slammed pillows in your face to wake you up before. Don't be such a pussy." Nodding a "let's go," Kai starts making his way down the plane aisle to the exit. I yell at him for leaving me behind again, slip my sneakers on, grab my things, and race out as fast as I can. Which—anyone who's traveled knows this—is slowly. People do not know how to walk in and out of planes, honestly! On another frustrated note, Kai is such a douchebag for leaving me behind all the time. He's also a douchebag for being a douchebag to me all the time. It makes me wish I stayed back home with Gramps.

…Who the hell am I kidding? There's no way I'd rather be home. I'd be dead of boredom by now!

I walk out (actually, stomp out) of the plane's walkway angrily, and walk into the mean ol' Russian himself. With an unceremonious huff, I drop all my crap on the floor making as much of a scene as I can. Kai glares at me, I glare back, and then he starts searching the crowd. Monkey see, monkey do, so I reflexively do the same, taking in the new airport I can add to my list of "visited." St. Petersburg's airport is really pretty!

"Who're we looking for?" I ask. For some reason, I expect to see Mr. Dickinson somewhere. Force of habit, I suppose. He's always at airports, train stations, and bus stops to pick us up.

"My dad." Kai answers. My brain slows to a mush.

"Your…dad?"

"Or my mom. They never said which one of them was going to show." The crimson-eyed teen explains. I'm still stuck on 'dad.'

"Your dad?"

Kai turns to me, sees my speechless amazement, and glares. "I'm going to punch you." I'm now grinning from ear-to-ear, sensing some discomfort in my captain's emotional shift. Kai has emotions, who would've guessed? I hop from one foot to the other excitedly and tug on the sleeve of his jacket.

"You never said anything about your parents before! This is so cool, what's he look like? Is he short? Tall? Does he wear glasses? Does he have crazy-colored hair like you? Is he fat?"

"Tyson, you have three seconds: shut up, stop jumping, and let go of my arm." The sudden seriousness in his voice makes me stop dead in my tracks, and I see anxiousness in his eyes. Is Kai actually nervous? "Listen…I kind of didn't tell my parents you were coming with me for the week, so they have no idea you're staying over." He explains to me. "It's been awhile since I've had friends over at home." Pfft, I'm surprised you're saying you've ever had friends over, Kai! Boy, this trip just gets more and more exciting!

I genuinely smile at my team captain. "Don't worry, Kai, I'll be on my best behavior!" I affirm with a sailor's salute. "You have my word as world beyblading champion!"

"…That's what I'm worried about." He shakes his head at me, and then his eyes sudden catch something of interest. "There he is. Come on." I whirl around excitedly on my feet, but spot no one in the crowd that really stands out. I pick up my bags and follow Kai at his heels, weaving through airport traffic, until we stop at the escalators down to the baggage claim.

A tall man, easily six feet in height, with midnight-blue hair and violet-crimson eyes like Kai's, steps forward and catches Kai in a one-arm hug, ruffling his hair with the other hand. He greets the phoenix warmly with a smile and chatters away in Russian. Kai nods and—braces yourselves—GRINS back up to the man, talking back to him just as quickly. The taller man sporting a thick winter jacket over his office clothes seems to be comparing Kai to himself. No doubt the "you've grown" conversation people who haven't seen each other in a while always say. Last time Hiro bothered showing up at home that's what he did with me.

I'm speechless. Kai looks a lot like his old man, and his old man looks GOOD for being an old man! You can tell that Kai gets a lot of his physical traits from his dad.

"Papa, this Tyson." Kai introduces, pulling me out of my wandering thoughts. The man looks at me with pleasant surprise.

"One of your teammates, I remember you." The man says with a smile. His English is coated with a light Russian accent, but it sounds pretty neat and I can understand him well enough. He holds out his hand in greeting and I shake it, smiling myself. "You're the talented one that's finally given Kai a run for his money. I'm Nikolai."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Hiwatari. Thank you very much for letting me visit for the week." I thank in advance. I catch Kai's skeptical glance at me, his signature eyebrow raised high in doubt. When Nikolai glances back at his son, I beam a bright, innocent smile at Kai. He can't glare at me, and I feel awesome for putting him on the spot. In hindsight, this is probably a bad idea. He might murder me in my sleep.

"On the contrary, Tyson. This has been quite the surprise. You might very well be the first normal friend Kai brings home for a change." He laughs in a good-humored fashion. I laugh along with him, because in my imagination I picture him talking about the Demolition Boys. I wouldn't be surprised if he actually was. Kai huffs and glares at Nikolai and, in turn, gets his hair messed up again by his dad, who ushers us onto the escalator down to the baggage claim. "I can't wait to see your mother's face when we get home. It's a pity we'll be away for the week; I'm sure she would love doting on your friend, Kai." Kai grumbles in Russian. Victory is mine! Father and son get lost in conversation again, conveniently in Russian, and I'm left out of the loop. I take this opportunity to pull out my phone and send a text message to the team.

_**New Text Message::**_  
><em><strong>FWD Message: Chief Kenny; Hilary Tachibana; Max Tate; Ray Kon<strong>_  
><em><strong>"Just landed in St. Petersburg airport and guess who came to pick us up? Kai's DAD!"<strong>_

The drive up to Kai's house has been very scenic. It's been ten minutes shy of an hour, but with the views of nighttime St. Petersburg, the comfort of Nikolai's SUV, and Kai being forced to talk a little more than I've ever seen in the two years I've known him, the time and distance hasn't really bothered me. Kai ineffectively told me that his house is in the middle of nowhere, which Nikolai kindly clarified that it's in a suburb heading up the mountains. He also reprimanded Kai for not being so nice to me. I can tell Kai's patience is wearing thin, especially since I keep pushing said patience to its very short limit.

This week is going to be so much fun.

Nikolai and Kai are back to talking to each other in Russian again, father speaking more than son, and the farther up the road we drive the more I'm beginning to believe what Kai said. We're surrounded by woods, I can see more or less the entire suburb from where we are (and the city in the distance), and I can count twenty Mississippi's between every house we drive by for the past ten minutes. Then, at long last, the words I was dying to hear.

"We're home, boys."

The SUV slows down in front of a huge house: a modern, mountain lodge-style sort of vibe to it. The kind of house you'd rent out for a family ski vacation in the mountains for winter. We pull into the driveway, waiting for the doors of the garage barn to open up, and I take it all in.

Holy hell! Kai lives here? This place is HUGE!

"Don't drool in my dad's car, Tyson, that's disgusting."

"Oh, ha, ha, Kai." I stick out my tongue at him. "I think your sudden sense of sarcastic humor is what's disgus—is that a Porsche?"

The car pulls to a complete stop in the garage and the doors behind us roll down to a close. I get out of the car and stare in awe at the creamy-gold Porsche stored beside a scarlet red Sedan. I circle to the back of the SUV to grab my suitcase only to find that Nikolai already picked it up for me. I follow Mr. Hiwatari and Kai into the house and hear barking. Lots of barking, from more than one animal. They have dogs?

This…place…is…amazing. And it's so damn BIG!

"Your friend is easily impressed, Kai."

"He lives under a rock."

"Hey! I do not!"

"Right, of course. He lives in a pigsty of dirty laundry and comic books. A rock would be an improvement."

"…I hate you, Kai."

We exit the spacious and clean barn-garage into what seems to be a coat room. It's got a wall of cabinets and closets on one side with an open shoe rack and a few skis stacked up in the corner. Nikolai and Kai took off their shoes and coats, putting them away, and I just took off my shoes. The house is heated, but it's still pretty cold to me. Kai pretended to go pick up my shoes while his father was looking, but once the older Hiwatari left through a different door he kicked them into the closet.

"Real nice, Kai, thanks."

"I'm not touching those things, they reek."

Catching him alone for a brief moment, I point to where his dad disappeared to. "Dude, your dad is wicked chill! You should take some pointers from him!" Unimpressed by my comment the crimson-eyed teen steps on my foot. "Oww!"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're starting to talk more and more like your Grandpa? I'd be careful."

I ignore my captain's sourness and walk away the pain, following him into a hallway. "You were right, Kai, you really do live in the middle of nowhere! But your house is really nice, it's so big!" A meow brought my attention to a small table by the main doorway. "Cat!"

Kai gave me a deadpanned, 'I-can't-believe-you're-my-age' look. "His name's Napoleon."

I give him a puzzled glance, watching him pet the Calico cat affectionately. The cat purred contently under his hand. "Napoleon, why?"

"It's an inside joke." A joke? I laugh.

"You can joke? This I got to know."

"He's a male Calico cat. Napoleon was a short guy with a bloodline that didn't last a generation after his death." None of this processes as funny in my head. Kai scoffs and rolls his eyes at me. "You're too stupid to get it, let's go." (1)

"Or maybe it's just a stupid joke." I retaliate. He leads me into the open floor plan of a formal living room and kitchen. Once again, I'm struck speechless. The formal living room on my left has bright red couches surrounding a fur carpet and a copper-decorated fireplace. There's a glass wall that—get this—is a fish tank separating the formal living room from a set of stairs that lead downstairs. The most impressive thing about the entire living room, even more than the fish tank, is the floor to ceiling window-walls that give the perfect view to the mountains and city in the distance. "Ho-ly craaaap…."

"This is the gathering room." Kai explains.

"You guys are loaded…!" I gasp again, plastering my face against the fish tank. Colorful fish swim back and forth and through corals and rocks. "This is so cool!"

"That's my dad's Hawaiian tropical reef habitat. It's his hobby."

"Can your parents adopt me?"

"No." He cuts me off sternly, prying me away from the fish tank to face the other way. "Out that door is the deck, and this is the kitchen and dining room area."

The kitchen and dining room was just as high-end in appearance as the living room. The appliances were all stainless steel, cabinets a brown so dark they looked black, and the counter tops were white granite. The dining room table is long and has twelve seats to it. And get this, they're office chairs! It looks cool, though. The dining room table's decorated with candles and flowers in bright spring colors.

My eyes stop at the kitchen island, where a group of four adults are sitting and chatting around half-eaten or finished plates of dinner and drinking wine. One of them is Nikolai; the other guy looks nearly identical to him. One of the women has shimmering slate-blue hair that's long and pulled into a ponytail; the other has strawberry blonde hair in a pixie-bob haircut. They did that awkward thing I hate: when everyone stops talking at the same time and turns to stare at the new guy.

And then the blue haired woman let out a squeal of joy.

"Kaike!" She shouted, all but running at us, Kai pulls me towards the kitchen before he's glomped by the woman in a bear hug. The woman talks at a million miles an hour in Russian, smiling happily at the teen and kissing both his cheeks. Kai hugs her back and answers calmly and—OH MY GOD! Is that a BLUSH? A SMILE? This is a dream. Avery cynical dream. I demand my subconscious to wake up this instant! If only the team could be here to see this!

The petite woman finally lets go of Kai and turns to me with a gasp paired with her smile. "Sweetheart, who's this?" She asks, now in a language I can understand, and with an accent thicker than Nikolai's. I give her my hand.

"Hi, M'am—er, ahm Miss. My name's Tyson, I'm one of Kai's teammates on the Bladebreakers." I introduce myself. Her smile, if possible, grows even wider. She gives Kai another quick one-armed hug and shakes my hand.

"Kai, you didn't tell me you were going to bring a friend!" She beams. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tyson. I'm Kai's mother, Yuliyanna. Yuliya is fine, if you'd prefer."

"You're Kai's MOM?" I ask. "But you're…young! And hot!" Kai's subtle blush grows a little more intense from embarrassment. He looks up to the ceiling with that face that said 'please smite me now'.

"Tyson, I'm going to murder you…" Kai growled under his breath through clenched teeth. Yuliya melodically laughed.

"You're too nice, Tyson. Nadiya, did you hear what he said? I'm young and hot!" Taking me by the shoulders as well, she pulls me and Kai over to the island table to the other two guests. They warmly welcome Kai home in Russian (I assume) while Yuliya talks to me. "Tyson, this is my brother and sister-in-law, Andrei and Nadiya." Oh, I see, Kai's uncle and aunt. They each greet me as well and offer Kai and me dinner. I'm about to accept (it smells and looks amazing) but Kai decides to give me a tour of the rest of the house and show me to my room. His relatives agree, and then tell him something in Russian to which he replies with a nod and an "ok."

"Kai, your relatives are…well, they're normal!" I tell him, following him back through the living room and down the stairs behind the aquarium wall. We walk into another living room—well, more like a family room. There's a bar on the first wall you see to the left, and the green and gray couches of the living room encompass a shag carpet and what may very well be the ultimate movie and gaming TV setup ever. "Not that I ever thought that they weren't normal. I just…well, you're kind of anti-social and your Grandfather's kind of a psycho…I guess I didn't know what to expect, but I definitely didn't expect this." His silence makes me feel awkward. "I'm going to shut up now."

Kai walks into a hidden door just after the stairs on our left. He opens it quietly, peers inside, and silently leaves his belongings inside the door before shutting it. He gives me a forced smirk. "Good."

"What's that room?"

"My room."

"Oh. Can I see?"

"No."

I huff at rejection, but follow the phoenix back. Kai's room…I've always wondered what Kai's room might be like. Actually, I've always wondered what all my teammate's rooms might be like. I've seen Kenny's and it looks like something straight out of a robotics and computer engineering convention…except filled with Beyblade parts. I've seen Max's place at his dad's too, but I've always wanted to see what his room in New York at him moms might be like. Hilary's room looks like a chick-flick sorority bedroom that Vocaloids threw up all over. Ray said his room back in White Tiger Hills isn't anything spectacular. He said it's a straw bed with an old mattress on top of it, a short table for writing, and a mat in the middle of the floor for yoga and meditating with lots of throw pillows. Hehehehe, I hope Salima doesn't want any action this week.

"Do I even want to ask why you're giggling?"

"Gee, Kai, you sure do talk a lot when you're back home, don't you?"

"Ignoring that…" The dual-blue haired teen sneered at me. "This is the family room. The bar's off limits." He points, going to the back door and opening the door for an enormous white dog and a litter of look-alike puppies that walked in. I knelt down on the ground to pet them all. They're so cute! "You can pet the dogs later, Tyson, c'mon."

"Are all those dogs yours?" I ask, petting the mother of the litter before hopping off after Kai.

"The litter's not ours for long, just Tyandra, the mom. My mom's giving them away once they hit six months." The phoenix explains. "This barn door here's storage, and the door next to it's the laundry room. Down this hall is where you'll be sleeping, in the ski dorm." Following Kai down the hall, he opens the door to a huge bathroom. Kai only let's me gape for a split second before dragging me to the last door down the hall.

"Kai!"

"Hn?"

"There are eight beds!"

"I know."

"Eight beds!"

"I know."

"Ho-ly SHI—!" Kai smacks in the back of the head before I can finish swearing and drops my stuff on the floor. "Oww! Jerk!"

After a delicious dinner made by Kai's mom, shower, and walking Kai's hoard of dogs, I found myself still awake at eleven at night. So, since I'm not really tired and I'm all alone, I'm going to give a status report to the gang.

I creep out of the ski dorm, checking to make sure that Vladimir—the butler—isn't around, and go into the family room. I don't worry about Kai or his parents, because they're all upstairs having catch-up time. Vladimir, by the way, is also a pretty cool guy, and he seems to have a bond that stretches back years ago with Kai. He's this old guy, easily in his late fifties or early sixties, that dresses as sharply and neatly as a butler can. If you can imagine Batman's butler Alfred, he's kind of like him. He's kind of like James Bond too. Ok, imagine James Bond and Alfred's lovechild, only Russian. That's Vladimir. He's the shit.

Hopping onto the computer, I turn it on and log into Oovoo to see if anyone's there as well as Facebook. To my surprise, everyone's on Facebook, so I send them all a message to log into Oovoo. "Ugh, Tyson, couldn't you have picked a better time to log in? It's four in the morning." Ray complains, shaking his messy bed-head out of his face.

"You're telling me. I was asleep." Hilary moans with a yawn, pulling her blankets over her head like a hood.

"Kenny and I are on lunch break." Max pipes up; he and Kenny wide awake with a sun-filled background behind them.

"You guys complain too much. What are you two doing up so early anyway?" I ask. Napoleon the cat (whose name I still can't fathom why it's funny) leaps down from a shelf next to the computer desk and lazily walks up to me. For some reason, he decides to sit his butt down right in front of the webcam. I meekly push the Maine Coon cat to the side, scared that he might bite or scratch me. Thankfully, he just sat there with a detached look in his big green eyes. It's the same expression Kai wears most of the time…I wonder if that's where he got it from. The cat, of course.

Ray let out a short laugh. "I planted a prank in Lee's room with Kevin an hour ago, I've been trying to fall asleep since, but Facebook's too distracting."

"Haha, nice."

"My phone goes off with a ringtone every time I get a Facebook notification, so you work me up." Hilary tells me.

"So how goes Russia, Tyson? Any news?" Kenny asks.

"Yeah! What's Kai's dad like?" Max asks right after the Chief. Ray and Hilary immediately look more alert.

"Guys," I whisper, lowering the speaker volumes. "Kai's parents are the coolest, nicest parents I think I've ever seen!"

"No way!" They chorus, each in their own way. "What do they look like?"

"They're both pretty young. Kai looks a lot like his dad, except nowhere near as tall yet. And his mom is a freakin' MILF! Seriously, they're like Barbie and Ken!" I look around for a picture of the Hiwatari couple, but the only one nearby is mounted on the wall. "There's a picture of them up on the wall; I'll take a picture of it in the morning and send it to you guys."

"That's so weird. And you said they're nice?" Ray asked, also whispering.

I nod vociferously. "Really nice. If Kai weren't raised by his asshole grandfather he'd probably be…hell, he'd probably be all smiles and energetic like me or Max! There's this family butler Vladimir and he's chill too."

"That's pretty hard to believe." Kenny laughs.

"Honestly! And his house, holy shit, I can't even begin to describe it! It's like, huge and classy and awesome! Get this: the room I'm staying in has four bunk beds and the bathroom to match it has two showers and three toilets. The upstairs living room has a wall that's a fish tank! It's literally the entire wall! It's like they literally bought an exhibit at an aquarium and put it there as a wall!" My teammates all exclaim, impressed with my story, and I check over my shoulder to make sure Kai's not coming back downstairs.

"Tyson, you have to show us the house; I want to see it!" Max and Ray tell me.

I nod, "As soon as I can you guys. And he has pets, too! This stupid cat that won't get away from the keyboard and this big white dog that had a litter of puppies! I think his mom said it was called a Sam…a Sama…Sama-Yeti? Something about the 'smiling Sammy' breed."

"A Samoyed." Hilary clarified and I nodded. "I want to see them!"

"They're all asleep in the laundry room. If I grab one of them they'll all wake up barking, and I'll get caught. I'll send pictures of them too."

"Tyson, did you ever figure out why you're there?" Kenny asks. My mind drifts for a second on the question until the answer comes to me.

"Yeah, I did! His parents mentioned it at dinner while they were playing cards with his aunt and uncle. Which reminds me, I met two more of Kai's relatives today too. They had dinner with his parents just before we got here." Max tries to interject with questions about Kai's other relatives, but I ignore them and continue. I think I heard footsteps heading for the stairs. "He's babysitting."

"BABYSITTING?!"

The footsteps I heard from earlier start coming down the stairs. "Guys, I gotta go, someone's coming and I'm supposedly asleep already. Talk to you guys later. Goodnight!" Scrambling to shut the computer off quickly, I run back to my room, slam the door behind me, dive into my bed, and duck under the covers. Nobody comes in to check on me, and eventually I drift to sleep.

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><p>1.) If you understand Napoleon the Calico cat's joke already, I applaud you! If not, sit tight. This inside joke I intend to extend for a couple of more chapters in this story. I want to leave Tyson very confused haha!<p>

A/n: I'm sorry if the house explanation seemed excessive. I literally took a house the channel HGTV gave away as a prize in 2011 because I loved the layout of it so much. I kind of wanted it for myself, but that's a story you don't care about. I also didn't want to do the cliché give-Kai-a-mansion schpeel, so there you have it. I wanted to do the house justice, hence all the explaining. If you want to see what it looks like, shoot me your email in a private message and I'll send you the pictures. It really is a beautiful house. All I added was the fish tank. I love fishies.

Next chapter…the child.


	4. Kai's Little Shadow

A/n: I failed to mention this before, but the points of view in this story will switch between anonymous third person and Tyson. It honestly just depends on what will better portray the events of a specific chapter. I want to keep it mostly to Tyson's point of view, but there are a few chapters that I've realized won't work out unless I do them in third omniscient.

And now, without further ado, chapter four.

Disclaimer: Yaoi fanfiction. Don't own Beyblade.

Beta Reader:..None (offers, anyone?)

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><p><strong>A Rumor in St. Petersburg<strong>  
><em>Four — Kai's Little Shadow<em>

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><p>Usually, Tyson was used to waking up at six or seven in the morning, depending on what day of the week it was. Typically, what happens is someone (Kai) wakes up the navy-blue haired teen with an ice cube down his shirt or burning a hole in his sock. Tyson would jump awake from shock and fear, get rid of the problem, and fall right back asleep. He would still be, after all, exhausted. At this point, Max will try to wake him up to save him from further torture, but the Japanese teen wouldn't listen. Then, the asshole someone (Kai), would return ten minutes later with an even worse method to wake the boy up. It'll wake Tyson up effectively, sure, but he's always either pissed, crying, or a combination of both.<p>

Then Ray will make something amazing for breakfast and everything's all better!

Today, for a change, Tyson woke up on his own feeling more well-rested than he had in a while. He snuggled deeper into the warm red and gold covers of his bed and peered up at the bunk above his head. Outside the room, the dragon heard a voice shouting in Russian and a movie playing. Another voice—Kai's he believed—answered from upstairs, but it was drowned out by the movie music that was suddenly blasted. It sounded like a Disney movie. More yelling, laughter, and footsteps race across the floor upstairs to the stairs. The door to Tyson's guest room flew open and shut and little footsteps scampered down to the last bunk bed on the right: Tyson's bunk bed. The brown-eyed teen saw the shadow of a little boy run up the steps to the bunk above his and hide in the pillows. He sat up, confused, and the door to his room opened again.

Kai's head slowly poked behind the door, glancing inside, and he looked genuinely surprised to see his teammate awake. "Oh. You're up…early."

"Morning, Kai." Tyson greeted the phoenix with a yawning grin, taking a look at the clock. "It's only nine? Damn."

"I'll say. I expected you to sleep in until one." The phoenix teased him with a mocking glance. Childish as ever, Tyson pulled down one of his lower eyelids and blew a raspberry at Kai. Kai shrugged and waved his hand carelessly at the Japanese teen. "I'll be upstairs making waffles if you need me. I don't have anyone I need to share my chocolate chip ones with anymore." Waffles? Waffles sounded really good right now!

"Kai, wait up! I want waffles!"

Tyson hopped out of bed and messily pulled the covers to make it look like he made it. He pulled a sweater over his head, put on socks, and fixed the pillows. Then, before leaving the room, Tyson climbed up the steps to the bunk above his and searched for the person he thought he saw. For a moment he believed his eyes played a trick on him, but then the pillows slightly shifted and he heard a small giggle. Bingo!

With a cackle and victorious grin, Tyson ripped the pillow from where it was. "Gotcha!" He exclaimed. The smile on his face vanished and shock replaced it. He and the little boy stared at each other for the entirety of five seconds, neither of them whom the other expected to see, before they both did the first thing that crossed their minds.

"AAAAAAAH!"

"AAAAAAHH!"

They screamed.

Kai came running back into the ski dorm to find the reason of the commotion and found Tyson and his little cousin in a stare-down, screaming at each other. "Tyson, what the hell are you doing?" The phoenix yelled at him, pulling him down from the bunk bed and dropping him on the floor. The dual-blue haired Russian went up to assist his little cousin and pull him down; Tyson stared, stuttered, and pointed at the little boy. "What, idiot?"

"Kai! That kid looks almost exactly like you!" The dragon gasped in surprise. The little boy in question was in Kai's arms and clinging onto the stoic Russian's sleeveless shirt. He was light-skinned like Kai and had violet-crimson eyes like the Bladebreaker captain. His hair was entirely a shade of midnight blue and stood just as Kai's did. He was dressed in a winter-blue sweater with little snow-themed doodles on it, dark blue pants, and little black socks. The little boy looked like a harmless, miniature version of Kai.

Tyson hated to admit it, but he was adorable.

Kai sighed impatiently at his teammate. "Tyson, this is my little cousin, Dimitri, my aunt and uncle's son that you met last night. He'll be staying with us this week while our folks are out of town."

"He's the kid you're babysitting?" The navy-blue haired teen piped up, now with an apologetic smile on his face. He followed Kai and Dimitri out of the room and upstairs to the kitchen. He shielded his eyes when he first stepped out of his room, taken by surprise with how my sunlight all the windows of Kai's house let in. Dimitri looked over Kai's shoulder at Tyson with an inspecting gaze and asked his older cousin a question in Russian. Tyson didn't fail to notice how Kai's tone of voice seemed to lighten up when he spoke to the child. "Dimitri's your name, right?" Tyson asked, getting the violet-eyed boy's attention. "I'm sorry about scaring you before." He apologized. The little boy just stared at him talk with intrigue. "Kai, can he understand me?"

"Da." The phoenix answered.

"Huh?"

"Yes."

Dimitri smiled at his cousin's words and nodded at Tyson. "Yes, yes, yes!" He repeated, clapping each time. Tyson smiled again; this kid was just too cute!

"Does 'da' mean 'yes'?"

"Well, would you look at that? It looks like the idiot can learn a thing or two after all." Kai smartly retorted with a single chuckle.

Tyson pouted and glowered at the back of the phoenix's head. "Who said I was stupid? I'm very smart, thank you!"

"Oh, so now you're smart too?" Dimitri glanced between the discussion of the two teens and giggled when he saw the expression his cousin wore. Tyson wished he could see it. "I never would've imagined."

"Idiot funny, Kai!" Dimitri said, pointing at Tyson. Now in the kitchen, Kai set the little boy down on a stool at the island table and pushed him in. The butler, Vladimir, was manning the stove in Kai's absence. Tyson took a seat beside Dimitri and gave Vladimir an energetic good morning. Kai, in the meanwhile, went to the deck to let the dogs inside.

"I'm not 'idiot,' I'm Tyson!" The Japanese teen corrected. Dimitri shook his head.

"Kai-bear said idiot."

"It's Tyson."

"Idiot!"

"Tyson!"

"Idiot!"

"Ty—!" Tyson growled in frustration, turning to Kai. "Kai, fix this! He won't stop calling me idiot!"

"Well, you are an idiot, aren't you?" Tyson let his head drop on the granite of the counter top and the little blue-haired toddler beside him laughed, reaching for his hat. Kai smirked, and Vladimir sent him a reprimanding glance.

"Your parents won't be too happy with Dimitri's new word, Kai." Vladimir warned the teen. Kai rolled his eyes with a defeated sigh.

"Fine." He caved. "His name is Tyson, Dimitri. Call him Tyson." The dual-blue haired teen took a plate of waffles in front of him, chocolate chip, and gave them to his little cousin. Tyson, upon seeing the waffles, recovered from his blow to the ego.

"Spasibo, Kai-bear!" The toddler squeaked, stabbing at the cut up waffle pieces with his spork. Tyson studied the little boy with amused brown eyes. Dimitri, noticing this, thought that the boy wanted to steal his waffles so he dragged his plate away from Tyson. (1)

"Hehe, don't worry, I'm not gonna eat yours. I'm getting my own."

"Chocolate chippies are mine." Dimitri specified. His short attention span then had him asking for Tyson's hat, and the Japanese Beyblader took it off and handed it to him. "What this say?" The little boy asked, pointing to the BBA logo embroidered on the front of the hat.

"It says BBA. It stands for Beyblade Battle Association."

Dimitri gasped excitedly, putting Tyson's hat on his head. "Like Kai-bear! You battle beyblades too? I wanna see!" Tyson grinned at the little Kai look-alike, glad that they were now getting along.

"Sure thing, kiddo! Maybe if Kai wants to beybattle later I'll show you Dragoon's power, and if not I'll show you how I train with him." The brown-eyed Beyblader promised whole-heartedly. Dimitri nodded excitedly, sticking two waffle slices in his mouth.

"I can play too? With Tyson's Beyblade?" He asked, pulling the hat down over his head again and blowing his bangs out of his eyes with a playful grin.

Tyson shrugged, "Sure, I don't see why—."

"No, Dimitri." Kai spoke up, sliding Tyson's waffle plate down the table to him. He shot a glace over at his baby cousin and shook his head no, and Dimitri frowned and pouted. "You can't use Tyson's Beyblade, ok?"

"But Kai-bear, I'm not sick!" The little boy protested, forcing a fake cough and then smiling hopefully. "See?" Kai shook his head no again, and Dimitri defeatedly went back to eating his waffles. Tyson watched the exchange between both Hiwatari's curiously, wondering what Dimitri meant by sick. However, when Dimitri started stealing his waffles—claiming that all chocolate chip waffles were his and Tyson stole it—Tyson quickly forgot.

Kai, meanwhile, went back to tag-teaming with Vladimir to make his own waffles. "Kai, there's no more badder left, you're going to have to make another batch." The butler said, pouring the mix into the waffle iron. The dual-blue haired teen wordlessly nodded and went to the refrigerator to grab more ingredients. When he saw they were missing some, he let out a low growl of frustration. "There's no more, is there?" The elder man with peppered hair chortled, familiar with the phoenix's behavior. Kai slammed the refrigerator door shut.

"Leave those things there and start the car." Kai requested, taking the list of groceries pinned onto the fridge with a magnet and setting it by the car keys. Vladimir couldn't help but chuckle again at the boy's sour mood. "Don't say anything."

"Who, me? I'm just laughing because you have to do groceries. And I know how much you love grocery shopping."

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><p>"Kai-bear, can I have this?"<p>

"No."

"…Can I have this?"

"No."

"This?"

"Nyet, Dimitri."

"Kai-bear!" Kai drew a deep breath, keeping his patience in check. Little kids were so persistent. He turned his attention to the little boy sitting in the grocery cart instead of amusing himself with Tyson trying to read the Russian words on food items. The little midnight-blue haired toddler held up a box of macaroni and cheese pleadingly to the dual-blue haired teen, his big eyes begging. Kai bit his lip, trying to muster up another no—he knew that he had macaroni and cheese boxes back home—but telling a child no while you weren't facing them is much easier. "Please? I want rocket ships!"

…Kai be damned. He caved. "Just one, okay?" A small grin tugged at his lips when his little cousin smiled up at him, hugging the box like he would his stuffed animals or his cat.

"Yay! Kai-bear, how do you say rocket ships for Tyson?" The child asked, referring on how to say it for the Japanese teen to understand.

"Rocket ship."

"Oh…" Dimitri nodded. Wobbly standing up as Kai pushed the cart down the aisle; the violet-eyed boy leaned over the side of the cart and tugged on the back of Tyson's jacket.

Tyson hadn't been paying the slightest attention to the exchange between both Hiwataris. His mind was too busy making comparisons between the grocery stores he was used to back home and the set up of this one in St. Petersburg. It was different, and it made him realize one of the reasons he loved traveling as a Beyblader. Seeing different cultures in person was so much better than studying them in his history class. The Russian Cyrillic's, while he remained not understanding a single letter of it, were also pretty cool to see splayed on all the condiments and signs. He picked up a can of tomato sauce: томат соус. A tug came from the back of his jacket and he turned around, finding little Dimitri nearly falling out of the cart. "Careful, pal, you'll fall out."

Dimitri didn't seem to fear the warning, he just held out his box of macaroni and cheese to him "You want rocket ships?"

Tyson shook his head, "No thanks buddy, I'm—."

"Nyet, rocket ships are yummy! You want rocket ships?"

"Uhm, sure then?"

"Okay!" The violet-eyed toddler piped up, now reaching over the other side of the aisle for another box of mac and cheese. Kai caught notice of this and gently pushed the boy to sit back down in the cart. "But Kai-bear, Tyson wants rocket ships."

"No, you want Tyson to want rocket ships. I said just one box, remember?" The phoenix said, moving onto the next aisle and making sure Tyson was following. He grabbed items off the shelves he knew they'd need as they passed them. Tyson smirked at his team captain, tossing the can of tomato sauce in his hands back and forth.

"Your little cousin's one quick-thinker, Kai. He's as sneaky as you are sometimes." The tanned teen chuckled. Kai sent his teammate a raised eyebrow with a pointed glance, but he ended up just shaking his head and smirking to himself. Tyson felt like he was doing too much of nothing, so he skipped over to Kai's side and shared the cart handle with the crimson-eyed teen, leaning on it just like he was. "Hey, what's that list say? I can't read anything, but I know my foods and I can definitely find them for ya; let's split the list half in half!"

"I know you know your foods, Tyson. You're the reason I hate doing groceries even more so than usual."

While both world-class Beybladers talked, Dimitri was busy stacking away the foods that surrounded him into different towers and a fort. He watched his beloved older cousin talk to this new friend of his, with many questions popping up in his young mind. His Kai-bear never had friends from out of town before, and certainly none that beybladed. Well, at least none aside from his cousin Tala and the friends they both shared. He was confused. Why would Kai bring someone from…what was that place, Japan? Yes, that sounded correct. Kai had told him that Japan wasn't a place he should go to, that it was a place that made him sad. Why did Kai have a friend from somewhere that made him sad?

He now watched his older cousin bicker with Tyson over which items on the list they'd each retrieve. It completely and utterly boggled him. And although he had no idea what the feeling was called, the little boy was also feeling jealous. This Tyson was making Kai split his attention between the two of them.

"Tyson," The little boy asked, now drawing both teen's attention. "Do you Beyblade with Kai-bear?"

Tyson nodded, "Yup! Kai and I are on the same team, the Bladebreakers. You didn't know that?" Tyson was a little surprised with the boy's question and turned to Kai with the same question in his eyes. Kai chose to conveniently ignore him at that moment.

"So…Kai-bear always busy with Bay-bakers?" The little boy asked again. Tyson chuckled at his mispronunciation.

"Bladebreakers, Dimitri. And yeah, it's kind of like our job. It's me, Kai, Max, and Ra—OWW!" The brown-eyed teen was suddenly hit with a box that came very close to his face. "What the hell?"

"Dimitri!" Kai barked, sternly glaring at his little cousin. The miniature Kai look-alike glared back. "Why did you do that?"

"I don't like Tyson. Tyson makes you leave all the time and makes you stay in that place that makes you sad." The blue-haired toddler huffed. "Kai-bear, you said that you were coming back forever and ever and ever."

"Throwing the box at him was uncalled for, you know better." The phoenix scolded, picking up the box and placing it on the aisle, leaving it there. "Apologize." Dimitri shook his head so much he ruffled up his hair. "Apologize to Tyson now, Dimitri."

"Nyet."

"Dimitri…"Kai said in a warning tone, smothering the little boy with his relentless glare. Dimitri seemed like he was about to buckle after a few moments, but Vladimir met back up with the trio to add on a few of his finds to the cart. The butler asked what was going on, and Kai explained quickly to him in Russian. In agreement with the phoenix the butler also reprimanded the little boy, and took him with him to finish his half of the groceries. "C'mon, Tyson, let's finish this up so we can leave. I hate supermarkets…too crowded."

"Kai, what did he mean by—?" Tyson began, but Kai didn't let him ask.

"Hurry up, Tyson."

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><p>By the time they got back to the Hiwatari household, the tension hasn't lifted. It wasn't tension, per se: it was more…Kai giving his little cousin the silent treatment to teach him a lesson. Although Tyson had only known Dimitri and his relationship with Kai for less than a day, he could see that Kai's cold shoulder was driving the little boy nuts. Kai was pulling out his Beyblade training equipment from the storage room and bringing it out to the front yard for him and Tyson to train. Dimitri was playing shadow and, despite the phoenix's silence, was following his cousin around and attempting to help. Tyson would've offered to help, but Kai's mood had gone sour and the Japanese Beyblader knew from experience not to get in Kai's way when he was pissy.<p>

The navy-blue haired teen sat at the front steps with Vladimir, cleaning his Beyblade. "I don't get it, Vladimir. Dimitri already apologized to me, why doesn't Kai cut him some slack?"

"Yes, but Dimitri didn't mean it when he apologized to you, Mr. Tyson. He only apologized because he knew it's what Kai wanted him to do." The older man explained, comfortably sitting in a deck chair to watch the training session that was about to take place.

"Exactly, so why—?"

"Kai wants Dimitri to apologize and mean it." The butler continued, pursing his eyes shut and smirking in amusement. "The poor little boy doesn't understand that. He's going to keep trying to please Kai until his bedtime, most likely."

"Well, yeah, I get that, but…" The tanned teen started, watching Dimitri dart back and forth across the yard grabbing items he saw that Kai needed. "But Kai should still take it easy on him. He's just a little kid. How old is Dimitri anyway?"

"Five."

"Five? That's just cruel I remember one time when I was five or six my older brother Hiro locked up my toy chest for an entire day. I was mad at him for days after that!"

"I bet you were. Yet, I'm willing to guess that whatever you did to deserve your punishment, you didn't repeat it again." Vladimir reasoned with the world champion.

"Well yeah. All I did was stick my hands in a kid's birthday cake at a birthday party. It was a little kid thing." Tyson rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "And besides, the reason Dimitri threw his mac and cheese box at me was because of something that made Kai sad and he blamed me. What was that all about?"

"That is a question you'll have to take up with Kai later, Mr. Tyson." The ever-formal butler replied smoothly. "It's not my place to talk about it. I think you'll also realize that while Kai is giving Dimitri a tough love treatment, it's out of the good of his heart." Tyson scoffed and laughed at Vladimir's choice of words.

"Hahahaha, oh Vladdy! You make me laugh!" Vladimir was utterly perplexed at why the house guest was laughing. "'Good of his heart,' ha! What a joke! Kai may cut a little more slack to Dimitri because he's little and he's related to him, but that's probably it! Kai's as good at heart and Max is a grouch, hahaha!"

"I'm…sorry you feel that way, Tyson." The man slowly said, understanding the teen's joke with a slight frown. Their attention was drawn away to Dimitri. The little toddler was having a hissy fit with his look-alike relative that continued ignoring him. Not getting the attention he desired, Dimitri dramatically fell to a sit on the cold grass, calling Kai's name. Whatever Kai finally replied he didn't like. He started crying to himself where he sat, hugging his legs to his chest.

"Tyson, everything's set; get off your lazy butt and start doing some reps around the cones." The phoenix ordered, launching his indigo Beyblade to a different obstacle setup.

"But…Kai…" Tyson glanced between older and younger Hiwatari, his heart torn for the little boy. Kai may have been trying to teach his cousin a lesson, but in the world champion's taste he was being way too mean about it. "Sure thing, Kai." He nodded, walking over the toddler and kneeling down beside him. "What's the matter, Dimitri?"

The little boy looked up at Tyson with big, watery violet-crimson eyes, sniffling and wiping away tears. "K-Kai-bear doesn't like me anymore. He w-won't listen to me." He cried, his voice shaky. Tyson found himself wanting to frown and grin at the same time, sad for the little boy's turmoil yet finding it cute.

"Now why would you say that? I don't think Kai hates you."

Dimitri shook his head, "Da, Kai-bear doesn't like me because I was mean to you. I said sorry but Kai-bear didn't like my sorry, he said my heart was lying." Tyson was genuinely intrigued; did Kai really tell him that? "But my heart didn't say sorry, my mouth did! I don't know how to make my heart talk!"

This kid…He was just so innocent and adorable!

Tyson chuckled at Dimitri's innocence, "I think what Kai meant was if you were really sorry for throwing that box at me. He just wants to know if you were being honest." He tried to explain, offering the child a grin. "So are you sorry?"

Another sniffle, "Mmhm."

"Great! In that case, why don't you wipe those tears off your face and help me launch Dragoon?" Tyson beamed. Dimitri looked up in surprise. "Well, come one! I promised you at breakfast that I'd let you use Dragoon for a little, right? Let's launch Dragoon! And let's do it fast before your grumpy Kai comes here and makes up both cry." He joked. A smile started to appear on Dimitri's face, and he unexpectedly tackled Tyson in a hug.

"Spasibo, Tyson! Prastee, prastee meeynya for throwing the rocket ships at you! Kai-bear was right, you are tolly-ball!" The little boy piped up, tears now a thing of the past. (2)

"Pras-tree what? Tolly-ball? What's tolly-ball?" Tyson blinked, looking over to Kai. "Care to translate, Mr. Sourpuss?"

"Tolerable, Tyson." Kai said, observing the two from the corner of his eye.

"Oh, ok. HEY! Tolerable?" Tyson demanded, making the little kid laugh. A moment's slip-up of attention allowed for Dimitri to snatch Dragoon from Tyson's hands and run off with him making sound effects and pretending the Beyblade was spinning. "Dimitri, give that back! I have to train! KA-AI, do something!"

For the first time Tyson could remember since…since he met him, Tyson had never seen the phoenix truly laugh before without being sarcastic or snarky. He never imagined it, but it actually suited Kai. He still, however, had a bigger problem at hand.

"DIMITRI! Give me back my Dragoon!"

"Dragoon! Roar, roooar!

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><p>(1) "spasibo": Russian for thank you.<p>

(2) "Prastee meeynya": Russian for I'm sorry (literally, "forgive me").

A/n: I've noticed that the length of my chapters have steadily started to increase. I'm making a conscious effort to try and keep them under seven to eight pages. Ten is my maximum limit. Review, review, review please! They keep the chapters coming!


	5. A Game of Trust

A/n: I'm so touched, guys! So many reviews! I take it you all like Dimitri? Haha, just wait until you see who else is coming around soon!

Disclaimer: Yaoi fanfiction. Don't own Beyblade.

Beta Reader:..None

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><p><strong>A Rumor in St. Petersburg<strong>  
><em>Five — A Game of Trust<em>  
><em>[Tyson's POV]<em>

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><p>"TYYYYYSOOOOON!"<p>

I jumped out of bed and my head collided hard with the bunk above me. I let out a groan of pain and rubbed the sore spot, frantically glancing around. "What happened? Who's dead? Is the house of fire?" I finally realize Dimitri's standing at my bedside, all dressed up in his little snow boots and winter jacket.

"Dobroye utro, Tyson!" The little blue-haired boy beamed, giving me a dog leash. I glance at the clock: almost eight in the morning. "Come walk the rainbow with me!" (1)

I let out a disgruntled, exasperated sigh. He woke me up for this? And here I wanted to sleep in today. "What do you mean, walk the rainbow?"

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><p>Despite the sunny, clear-skied appearance, the weather itself is still pretty chilly and windy. Kai and Dimitri seem like they're both back on the same page again; the kid's a non-stop chatterbox that repeats Kai's name every other word, practically. I never knew someone could like a person like Kai so much. This, of course, doesn't include fangirls. Fangirls have a mind all their own.<p>

"Kai-bear, yes-a-day, when I went to school," With Dimitri, I've noticed three things about his English: he has no accent except for when he randomly slips into Russian (usually when he doesn't know how to say what he wants to say he'll do this), he picks up on words rather quickly, and he stumbles on words that have three syllables or more. He also, I've seen, hasn't grasped a sense of time yet. To him, if it happened a day or a year ago, it was yesterday. Or as he likes to put it, 'yes-a-day.' If it's tomorrow or a year from now, it's all tomorrow by his account. It's funny how little kids think. The little Russian walked between Kai and me balancing himself on the edge of the sidewalk. My team captain and I were walking the dogs.

That reminds me, I figured out what Dimitri meant by walking the rainbow. He was talking about the puppies. I remember Kai telling me that Tyandra's pups weren't theirs to keep, but it never crossed my mind that they hadn't named them. The system that Mrs. Hiwatari created was to give each pup of the litter a different colored collar for reference. That way, they knew which puppy they were talking about without giving them a name. Names were the first step to creating an attachment to them, and they couldn't afford to keep all the puppies. I wanted to argue this point with them—they are loaded, after all, or at least it sure seems that way—but Kai stopped me with a stomp to the foot. I still need to get back at him for that…

Anyways, there are seven puppies: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and pink. Seven puppies equal the seven colors of the rainbow. Thus, we're literally walking the rainbow right now.

"…And Lena spelled her name on the board all by herself!" Dimitri rambled. Kai listened closely to his every word, and while I admire his sudden patience of gold I also feel kind of…jealous. I mean, he can't spare two minutes of conversation with me or Max or Ray but here he doesn't go two minutes without doting on Dimitri? I know the kid's family and all, and he's little, but…what gives? "I tried to write my name on the board but it was too hard. I asked teacher if I can change my name but she said no." He pouted, spinning on his tiny heels and now walking backwards to face me and Kai. "Can I change it, Kai-bear?"

The phoenix beside me chuckled at the little boy's story, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Tyandra, the mother dog, was following us. She's well behaved enough to not need a leash. "Dimitri, there's nothing wrong with your name, don't change it."

"Da?" He asked excitedly.

"Da." Happy that Kai approved, the mini blue-haired phoenix hopped along ahead of us with a spring-loaded step.

"Boy…I don't think I've ever seen a little kid be so attached to someone like he is with you, Kai." I comment. One of the puppies stop for a number one and I half my pack of three. Kai, oddly courteous, stops to wait for me. "It's like he's really your little brother."

"Do you mean to tell me that you weren't so close to your older brother? I find it hard to believe, given your personality." The dual-blue haired Russian challenges. I felt a small wrench in my heart that I quickly ignored.

"Who, Hiro? Yeah, that was before he decided to become some modern-day espionage agent or whatever and ditched me like dad did." I inform him with some spite in my voice. "Except he did one better and doesn't even send letters or call anymore. At least I hear from dad two or three times a year if I'm lucky." Kai masks his sudden curiosity well but not fast enough. A lump in my throat forms itself with the topic, so I quickly turn the focus of our conversation back at him. "Say Kai, why does Dimitri call you 'Kai-bear'?"

Kai frowns at me briefly but his expression relaxes. "It's what my mom call me…it stuck with him, too."

I scrunch my eyebrows together, perplexed. "She calls you Kai-bear? Really? Why 'bear'?"

"Bears are my favorite animal, have been since I was little." He shares. Ladies and gentleman, for the first time since I've met Kai, I've learned a fun fact about him! This has to mark some sort of break-through in history.

"Kai-bear is Brother Bear!" Dimitri pipes in. With the gasp of an idea, he asks, "Kai-bear, sing the bear song!"

The bear song? Oh, this has got to be good. I grin evilly; Kai glares at me, a silent plea that's begging me not to ask. Too late! "What's the bear song?"

"I be Koda and Kai-bear be Kenai and Tyson be silly mooseys! Sing!"

"Dimitri—."

"Siiiing!"

"But Dimitri, I don't want to sing right now." Kai tells him, catching his hand as we reach the end of the street. We all look both ways before crossing together.

"Fine, then Dimitri calls Kai-bear 'chicken-bear' forever." I couldn't help but laugh out loud at his little threat. For a five-year-old he sure knows how to gamble for what he wants.

Kai smartly smirks back, an upper-hand retort poised on the tip of his tongue. "If I'm a chicken-bear then you're a chicken-bear too. You look just like me."

"Da, but Dimitri will be a Kai-chicken-bear that can sing." Oh, SHIT! Kai just got told by a five-year-old! A five-year-old! God, why don't I have a camera for times like these?

The elder Hiwatari glared at the younger's triumphant smile. "Well played, little man."

"Yay! Kai-bear sings!" Dimitri rejoiced, recognizing victory, as he starts off singing. "Tell ev'ybody I'm on my way, new friends and new places to see! With blue skies ahead, da, I'm on my way, and there's nowhere else that I'd rather be!" I remember this song now. It's from Disney's Brother Bear movie. It's the same movie he was blasting yesterday morning that woke me up. That explains the references he made, and all the character names he remembered. "Kai-bear's turn!" Dimitri squeals, spinning a circle as he walked.

To my complete and utter awe and amazement, Kai continued to sing the song where Dimitri left off.

"Tell everybody I'm on my way, and I'm loving every step I take. With the sun beating down, yes, I'm on my way, and I can't keep this smile off my face…"

I…I can't believe this. Not just the singing, but…everything. If you asked me two days ago to summarize Kai's personality in one words, I wouldn't have to think twice about it" asshole. Yet, here's the asshole: a bear-loving, family-caring, and exemplar brother figure to a child whose universe probably revolves around him. I honestly feel like I've actually lost some of my ground here. I feel like I don't even know a quarter of who Kai is anymore.

All this can't help but make my mind tick…why is Kai so cold to everyone back home? He's not just indifferent to the Bladebreakers; he's indifferent to everyone in general. The only person I can recall that Kai has shown a little more personality towards is Mr. Dickenson, but nothing this extreme. The gang back home is never going to believe it, but their 'theories' on Kai were right. Kai is a completely different person here in Russian, and it's up to me to start looking for some answers.

"Tyson!" Dimitri calls me, jumping up and down. "You sing song too!"

I blinked and laughed at myself in embarrassment. "Sorry Dimitri, but I don't remember all the words."

"Then sing song like birdies sing, like this." The toddler drew in a deep breath and attempted to whistle the tune. "Can you do that?"

Now I boastfully smirk. "You may not know this kid, but where I come from I'm the whistling champion." Kai hopelessly sighs at my ego with a roll of his eyes.

"You come from 'Da-pan'?"

"I come from Japan."

"That's what I said: Da-pan." The violet-crimson eyed boy made a brief face of confusion, probably wondering why I corrected him when he thinks he's pronouncing it correctly. I don't even bother trying again. "Sing song like birdies do and Kai-bear will sing with me."

I picked up whistling where Kai left off singing and Dimitri immediately falls into song. Both he and I turn to Kai expectantly, waiting for him to start as well. Now that I was watching him, the phoenix suddenly seems a bit bashful, but he continues nonetheless. We ended up marching and singing the song over and over again all the way back to Kai's house.

Oh, and did I mention? Kai's not too shabby a singer. Shocking, isn't it?

* * *

><p>"Tyson, let's play resty-raunt."<p>

"Ok, how do you play that?"

"I make food and you eat it all yummy-like, ok? Ok? Tyyyson?"

I turned my attention away from Youtube and to the little Hiwatari standing next to me. "Yeah, ok Dimitri, I'll play."

The little boy nodded enthusiastically. He ran to the tall glass doors that lead out to the terrace in the backyard and threw himself against it. "KAAAAI-BEEEEEAR!" He hollered.

"Dimitri, it's glass not steel. He can hear you." I tell him with a laugh. This kid is such a riot.

"But Kai-bear is outside. Teacher said you talk outside with outside voice and inside with inside voice." See what I mean? His logic is just too naïve and funny! "KAI-BEAR!" He shouts again, asking his cousin to play restaurant with us in Russian. Kai replies what I'm safely going to assume is a later or not now, for he's currently grooming his pack of hounds that are in shedding season. "Ok!" Dimitri answers, satisfied. For some reason he sticks his tongue out and slobbers the glass, making a "bleh" sound. Tyandra, who was sitting obediently on the other side as Kai had ordered, turns around and starts trying to lick Dimitri back. The child laughs in amusement.

"Dimitri, stop that! That's disgusting!" Kai scolds. What did I tell ya? Funniest little kid I've ever met.

An Oovoo call draws my attention back to the computer and I smile brightly when I see who it is. It's a group call from my favorite team of Beybladers on the planet: Max, Kenny, Ray, and Hilary. "Tyson!" They chorus once I pick up, happy to see me.

"Hey guys! What's up?"

"Dude, Tyson, you just missed the funniest story ever!" Ray cackles. I notice that the fair-skinned toes being painted on the bed beside him are Salima's: her scarlet-red ponytail just swung in front of the screen. Everyone laughs with the Neko-jin with the exception of Kenny. The Chief flushes dark red.

"What, what happened? Tell me!" I demand, curious as hell.

"Kenny tried to beat the crowd early today at the showers and he ran into Emily butt-naked!" Max laughs. I notice that it's only sunrise in New York now judging from the sunlight coming through the windows behind him and the Chief. He points to the brunette's cheek sitting next to him, "You can even see her fingerprints from the smack up close!"

"Poor Kenny guys, you shouldn't be making fun of him." Hilary tries to stand up for our resident genius, still chuckling.

"Then why are you laughing?" I ask, laughing along with the rest of them.

"…Because it's still pretty funny, even though I feel bad." She admits.

"So Chief," I tease, "Take a good guess for us: how big would you say they were?"

"Screw you, Tyson." He growls, not at all enjoying being the joke of our conversation. I laugh harder.

"Hey Tyson, where are you right now? That's a pretty nice living room behind you." Ray inquires.

I smirk boastfully, "Like it? It's the family room in Kai's basement."

"That's in Kai's house?"

"Shut up!"

"That is not Kai's house; that looks like a room straight out of a magazine!

"No, it is, honest!" I tell them. I take the webcam and pan-out the room for them to see, stopping at the wall of windows where Kai is so they can see that I'm not fibbing. "See? He's outside brushing his dogs. I told you guys there were a lot of them!" The Bladebreakers were completely stunned, praising the place.

"Damn, Kai's parents must be loaded." Max gasps. "Was that a giant TV I saw behind you?"

I nod in affirmation, "Yup, and it's got everything you can think of: Blu-ray, DVD player, VHS; movies to last you two months straight with no repetition; and games and gaming consoles as old as the Atari. Kai's dad told me that he and Kai play for stakes whenever Kai's home. His mom's kind of a big horror movie buff."

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I'm jealous that Kai didn't invite me to go with you." My blonde best friend says.

"Tyson, you said you'd show us a picture of Kai's parents. Can we see it?" The Chief asks next.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" I stand up and carefully take the framed picture over the office desk off the wall. It's a portrait of Kai's parents— in autumn, sitting on a bench. Kai's mom is wrapping the opposite end of her long scarf around his dad's neck. I ended up staring at it for a moment before showing my teammates. The cheeriness of the photograph, the look Mr. and Mrs. Hiwatari shared…it reminded me of a picture of my mom and dad. I haven't seen that picture in ages.

"Tyson, hello! Today, please!" Hilary yells at me. "You've met them in person, remember? Show us the picture before Kai catches you!"

"R-right…Here." I hold up the picture in front of the webcam. "His dad's name is Nikolai and his mom is Yuliyanna." My teammates all start judging the picture with nothing but positive feedback on the Hiwatari Patriarch and Matriarch. I try shaking the memory of my parent's picture out of my head.

"That's the hottest MILF I've ever seen!" Ray exclaims. Salima, now intrigued, joins our conversation and looks. "I'd totally tap that." The Chinese Beyblader announces with no shame. His girlfriend harshly smacks him in the back of the head.

"Cool your jets there, tiger. Her ass already belongs to someone and so does yours."

"Hahaha, I know who wears the pants in your relationship." Max teases. Both Salima and Ray beam a smile and I carefully put the picture back in its place.

"That's right, me." The couple choruses. The duo in China, along with Max and Hilary, start having a discussion on who's the boss between Ray and Salima.

"So Tyson, how has living with Kai been?" Kenny asks me, not interested in their conversation.

I shrug. "Good. Cold. Exhausting and frustrating at times, but fun." I summarize.

"Everything you just said contradicts itself one way or another." Kenny sweat drops. I grin proudly. "How's babysitting?"

"Everything I just said plus entertaining." The Chief's question reminds me to take a look back and check on Dimitri. The little phoenix is watching Brother Bear again (no surprise there) and making Play-Doh food…and there is Play-Doh everywhere. Kai is going to kill me if he sees this.

"Dude, what are you doing?" I ask the toddler. He turns from his musical animal movie to me.

"My name's not dude, my name's Dimitri." I face-palm at his answer. "I'm watching Brother Bear and making food for Tyson and Kai-bear and Vaddymir and Napoleon and—."

"Ok, ok, I get it. But Napoleon and the dogs don't eat people food, so you don't have to make them any. And Vladimir's not here, so you don't have to make him any either." I explain, cutting him off before he lists everyone in his family. "Just make food for me and Kai, ok?" He seems to buy my story and nods, but doesn't put away all the Play-Doh. "Alright, then start cleaning some of that mess up." Now the little Russian shakes his head no. "Why not?" I frown, slowly getting irritated. How does Kai have the patience for this? I'd go insane. It's so much explaining and questions and attention to give.

"Kai-bear says Tyson's like hippo. Tyson eats everything a lot!"

"He said WHAT?" I growl, glaring out the window at the oblivious dual-blue haired phoenix. "Why I ought'a—!"

"Hahaha, looks like your eating habits are as infamous as your beyblading skills now, Tyson." Out pink-loving brunette cheerleader smartly comments, now back in conversation with Kenny and I again. Ray seems to be losing a heated battle against Salima and Max's arguments. Looks like Salima will end up with the boss title by the time they're done debating that.

"Pfft, are you kidding me, Hilary? Kai just talks too much! Just look at what he taught the kid! I do not eat like a hippo, that's mean! The nerve of that guy!"

"Kai talks too much? Are you sure we're both talking about the same person here?"

"Tyyyyson!" Dimitri sings, skipping over to me with a flat, saucer-shaped piece of Play-Doh in his hands. His creation has a mess of yellow on top of it, and on top of the yellow are red dots and green and white rings. I have no idea what it's supposed to be.

"Looks yummy…what is it?"

"It's pizza!" He smiles, shoving it in my face. "Eat all up or no cookies for you, Mr.!" Somehow, I get the feeling that he learned that line from his parents.

"Ok, ok, I'm eating, see?" I pretend to take an exaggerated bite from the pizza and make a big deal out of it. "Mmhm, it's great!"

"Tyson, is that the kid Kai's babysitting you're talking to?" Max and Ray are now back in conversation with us and Salima went back to her toe-nail painting. It was Ray who asked the question. "He sounds young."

"Can we see him?" The American Beyblader asks next. I suddenly find myself stuck in a rut. Usually I wouldn't think twice about a question like that. But…but…we've known Kai for over a year now, and he's never once made family mentions willingly. I say willing because of Voltaire. I'm pretty sure that he never would've shared that dark part of his history if he had a choice. He must have some reason why he's been keeping it secret. And now…now I'm not sure if I want to cross that line or not.

All qualms I had were thrown to the wind. Dimitri heard my teammates and stood on his toes to try and get a glimpse at the computer. "Tyson, who's there?"

I'm still hesitant to show Dimitri to my team and vice versa. "I'm talking to my friends online." I explain to him. "We're on webcam."

"Webcam?" He repeats, ever so curious. Barely able to see over the desk, the toddler reaches his hands up to me and his big violet-crimson eyes silently plea for me to pick him up. "I want to see, please." Damn. I'm starting to see why Kai caves so much for this kid. How can I say no to a face like that? And he said please! I lift the little Hiwatari up and sit him comfortably on my lap. He stares in awe at my friends on screen. My team, upon seeing Dimitri, freaks out.

No literally, they freaked out.

"OH. MY. GOD."

"WHAT THE—HOLY CRAP!"

"AWWWW!"

"HE SHRUNK! OUR TEAM LEADER SHRUNK!"

"Guys!" I yell at them at them. Effectively, they all shut up. "Watch what you guys say, alright? Would you chill for a minute?" I can't help but wonder…did I react so over the top when I met Dimitri too? "This is Kai's little cousin Dimitri, he's five. Dimitri, this is the rest of the Bladebreakers. This is Hilary, Max, Kenny, and Ray." As I introduce my teammates to the little boy I point them each out.

"Bay-bakers from Da-pan?"

I chuckle and nod, "The one and only."

"Hi, Dimitri!" The blue-eyed blonde on screen energetically waves.

"Tyson, he is so cute." Hilary gushes, all but drooling over the toddler.

Dimitri shyly clings to my shirt and looks up at me. "Bay-bakers are Tyson's friends?" I nod. He looks again, still hesitant. "They Kai-bear's friends?" I nod again, and he finally waves back to the guys.

"I can't believe how much he looks like Kai." Ray gapes. Salima curiously looks and coos as well. "It's unbelievable."

"What did he just call Kai?" Kenny asked.

"He calls him 'Kai-bear'."

"Too friggen cute." Hilary squeals. "I want to fly up there right now and hug him to death! Tyson! You should ask Kai if he can bring Dimitri back with you guys to visit us!" My mind instantly flashes back to the mac-and-cheese box incident yesterday at the supermarket.

"I'm not too sure that's—."

"Tyson," The little blue-haired boy on my lap inspects the computer and then the space behind it, looking for something. "Where are the Bay-bakers?"

"On the computer." I say, getting confused with his apparent confusion.

"But they not there." He argues, searching for my teammates behind the computer.

"I think he's physically looking for us there, Tyson." Chief explains. They all sit back and watch 'cute-confusion' here in action.

"They're not really here Dimitri, they're on the computer. They're each in different parts of the world, and this is how we can talk to each other until we go home." The little phoenix suddenly gets very panicked.

"They stuck in computer?"

"No, that's not—!"

"Kai-beeeear!" He yells, jumping up and shaking the computer screen. "Kai-bear help!" My teammates find this hilarious. To be honest, I think it's funny too. But if Dimitri accidentally breaks the computer it's my ass that'll pay the price. "Kai-bear, Bay-bakers stuck in computer! Don't worry, Bay-bakers, Kai-bear will save you! KAAAI—!"

"Tyson, I thought I asked you to watch him." The dual-blue haired Russian states with a glower. I turn around and find that he's staring at Dimitri's mess, waiting to hear my excuse. I smile sheepishly. I guess he's done brushing the dogs.

"It's not my fault. Dimitri's a handful." I say, hoping he won't kick my ass. Dimitri jumps up and down on my lap and points to the computer with emergency, making his cousin come over to us.

"Kai-bear, Kai-bear, Bay-bakers are stuck in computer and can't get out!"

"Dimitri, watch," Placing his hand in front of the webcam, he makes the image of the three of us disappear from the screen and reappear, pointing this out to Dimitri. "This is what's making them appear on the computer. They're not stuck inside there. They're sitting in front of one of these just like us." Huh…I never would've thought of explaining it that way.

"Oooh. What's that?"

"That is the webcam." Happy that my team isn't stuck in the computer like he believed they were, Dimitri jumps into Kai's arms and hugs the crimson-eyed teen, handing him his pizza Play-Doh. "Tyson, wrap up that conversation soon to clean up this mess. We have somewhere to go later." My captain informs me, glancing quickly to my teammates.

"Hey, Kai!" They greet, each giving their own input on how Dimitri's the cutest thing since cute. Kai grins, prideful of his little cousin, and tells Dimitri to wave them goodbye.

"You guys better be training for the Charity tournament while you're partying." The Russian warns. "If you're a step out of shape I'll make you stay up an entire night to get back to where you were." Dimitri mimics Kai's expression and nods sternly at my teammates.

"Train beyblades everyday!" He commands.

"And as for you, young man, it's bath time." Kai says with an evil grin, carrying the little boy off to his room. "Clean this place up before the cat or the dogs try eating the Play-Doh, Tyson."

"Nyeeeeeet, Kai-bear!" Dimitri wails, not looking forward to bath time.

"Guess I gotta go, guys. I'll talk to you guys later."

"Alright Tyson, we'll see you later." Max and Kenny chorus. "We gotta go too, we have to meet up with Judy and the All Stars in half an hour."

"And Salima and I have today's final wedding rehearsal to go to before tomorrow." Ray adds. "Hurry up and get going before you get your butt kicked by Kai and Kai Jr."

Should I or shouldn't I? It's such an obvious invasion of privacy, but…gah, I want to know so badly!

I finished cleaning up Dimitri's Play-Doh disaster quickly, and Kai was still preoccupied giving the little toddler a bath. I showered myself and changed into warmer jeans and an ocean-blue t-shirt that has graffiti print on it over a long-sleeved white shirt. All this, of course, with my trusty hat. Everything I wear has to match my hat. Even after I did all that, Kai still wasn't out with Dimitri, and Vladimir still wasn't back home so I had no one to talk to. I could've very well walked into Kai's room and joined the Hiwatari's, but I feel like Kai still hasn't given me permission to be in there yet. It sucks.

Boredom led to snooping, and snooping led to where I am now: the storage room. Like everything else in the house, this room is all labeled and organized. The question at hand is this: should I look at what they have or not? Maybe I shouldn't…mrgh, but it's just so tempting!

I tip-toe into the room and scan all the boxes, cabinets, and storage bins. It's all in Cyrillics. Fucking Russian and they're complicated as hell alphabet and language! I start making my way down the closest wall to me, opening boxes that I have an easier access to. Old home accessories, holiday decorations, an inflatable pool…Everything here is so normal. Even my basement has some crazy contraptions. Like Grandpa's giant lava lamp from back in the 70s when he was the shit.

I move to the back wall and pry around there. Ah, now this is more like it! Old photo albums! I pull one out and open it up, immediately faced with a picture of baby Kai butt-naked. I bite down on my lip hard to not laugh out loud. Never in a hundred years could I imagine a picture like this. Although, I have to admit, Kai was actually a sweet baby. Nothing like how he is today. I continue flipping through the pages, seeing picture after picture of Kai like a flip-book of him growing up. There was Kai in the snow, Kai with an old family dog, Kai with Vladimir, and Kai with his parents. There were Kai's birthday parties, some school pic—is that TALA? Holy FUCK, it's Tala! He totally did not look like a demon-spawn child when he was little.

The photo albums have a gravitational pull on me, and I look through them with more and more curiosity with every page I turned. I saw all of the Demolition Boys at one point or another, Kai at historic sites I remember from Moscow, you name it. The most traditional and common children's photos imaginable Kai's parents had them all documented here. And I couldn't help but notice a trend. In nearly every picture here, Kai was smiling. They were big, care-free, happy-go-lucky smiles like the ones Dimitri has. It made my heart heavy. Kai…Kai had such a great smile. Why has it vanished?

When I turned the next page of the photo album, I couldn't help but let out a small gasp of surprise. It's a picture of Kai and Voltaire. The phoenix seems to be the same age as Dimitri is today in this photo, if not a little older. He's being held in his grandfather's arms and hugs the man back with warmth and trust. The picture is a candid shot of Kai giving his grandfather a kiss on the cheek with his lips spread in a large smile. In little Kai's arms is a teddy bear. Voltaire is grinning back at him. Kai…Kai loved his Grandfather?

"Mr. Tyson," My heart leaps into my throat, frozen still. Shit. I've been caught. I turn around and Vladimir flicks the lights to the storage room on, his expression stern. I meekly try hiding the picture book out of his line of sight. "Might I ask what it is that you're doing in here?"

"V-Vladimir." I stutter, inwardly cursing myself for it. I'm in trouble and he knows I know it. "I-I was just waiting for Kai and Dimitri to finish getting ready. I-I got bored a-and—."

"Came in here?" The man finishes for me with a doubtful raised eyebrow. He starts putting away the other photo albums I left out of the storage boxes. "Perhaps in your household you were raised differently, but it is a general rule of thumb that it is rude to go looking through other people's belongings." He reprimands me. I lower my eyes in shame, staring at the picture of Kai and Voltaire again.

"I'm sorry." I mumble apologetically.

"Mr. Tyson," The butler says, and I brace myself for what to come. "I don't think you fully realize how delicate a situation you're in, so I'm going to tell you just how privileged you are." He says. I glance up with peaked curiosity as he puts away the second-to-last box, facing me. "Mr. Tyson, Kai has come from a turmoiled past that's made him reserved, mistrusting, and aversive. To many people, including from what I've seen of you, you take him for a bratty, talented know-it-all that won't talk to anyone. Now that you've seen what his home is like, I'm sure you've added spoiled to the label as well.

"Kai is nothing like that as a person. It is a defense mechanism he's developed over the years because of what he's been through. He's guarded because he's fearful of others getting to close to him. Aside from his other beyblading team of friends, Kai hasn't brought a friend home since he was in elementary school, before he was taken away by his Grandfather. And you are his first guest since Voltaire's been imprisoned and facing trials with Boris. I don't know what it is young Kai sees in you, but he's giving you the opportunity to get to know him better. I believe that the time he's spent with you and the Bladebreakers is finally starting to make him take a chance and let his guard down again. Do not take this lightly. This is as much of a learning experience for you as it for him, and if I suspect that you might run off to your friends and play spy to tell them everything you can, then I will personally send you packing to Siberia. Do we understand each other?"

I nod slowly, letting everything process in my head slowly. "Understood, Vladimir."

"Good. And as for Dimitri," He warns me again, "My rule is the same. Dimitri knows that Kai reserved and guarded, but he is completely oblivious to his past. If you go anywhere near destroying their bond, I'll send you to Siberia with no previsions."

I nod again, looking back down at Kai and Voltaire's picture. Tentively, I inquire, "Vladimir, what…what happened to Kai? What happened between him and Voltaire?" Gingerly, the butler takes away the photo album in my lap and stores it away. The picture is still embedded in my mind. "Why did he take Kai away from his parents?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tyson, but those are questions that you must ask Kai himself. It's not my place to answer them." He apologizes. "Maybe before this week is over you'll be able to touch upon the subject with him. For now, just take it easy on him. Don't be so judgmental on his behavior here as opposed to how you say he is back in Japan. Kai is not a bad person."

I nod again, not exactly satisfied with the lack of an explanation but it'll suffice. Another question pops up in my head, related to Kai not allowing Dimitri to Beyblade. "Hey Vladimir, can I ask you one more thing? Dimitri said yesterday that Kai doesn't let him Beyblade, is he—?"

"Tyyysoon!" Speak of the devil; Dimitri's out of the bath and looking for me. "TYYYYSOOOON! Let's go see Aleksei and Lara, Tyson!" Damn it, I was so close too!

I follow Vladimir out of the storage room still feeling a little guilty for snooping, and the butler encouragingly gives me a smile I eventually reciprocate. "Just listen to what I said and you'll be fine." I nod again, my smile gaining some strength. Be nicer to Kai. Sure thing, that can't be too hard, right?

As soon as we walk back into the family room, Dimitri tackles my legs in a hug. "Tyson, there you are! Kai-bear's almost done, he told me to find you! Let's go see Aleksei and Lara dance Kalinka!"

I turn to Vladimir for an answer. "Who'?"

"Aleksandrina and Larissa. Tala's little sisters." My mind halts in a mush.

"Tala? The pointy-red hair, scary blue eyes, evil laugh, twisted sense of humor Tala?"

He gives me a peculiar stare. "That would be the one. They're Dimitri's cousins on his mother's side of the family." The butler enlightens me. My mind is still stuck on his first fact.

…

Tala's…

…little…

…_what_?

* * *

><p>1) Dobroye utro: Good morning<p>

A/n: I apologize for the lengthy-ness of this chapter. But, since I had no power during the week and was unable to update, I think it makes up for the delayed update. Oh, Tyson, Tyson, Tyson…don't you know better than to push your luck?

…No, not really, actually

Next chapter: Demolition Boys, woot woot!


	6. Family Ties

A/n: This chapter is also a little bit on the lengthy side: just shy of ten pages. So sorry about that if you're not a fan of long chapters. I feel like the further I get into this story and developing it, the longer the chapters are becoming. I'm trying to remain in the boundaries I promised.

To the reviewer **bljad**, thank you very much for pointing out the out-of-character slip-up I made! I'll be more self-conscious about it :]

Anywho, Demolition Boys! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Yaoi fanfiction. Don't own Beyblade.

Beta Reader:..None

* * *

><p><strong>A Rumor in St. Petersburg<strong>  
><em>Six — Family Ties<em>  
><em>[Tyson's POV]<em>

* * *

><p>"Ok, so, let me make sure I got this right. Your dad and Dimitri's dad are brothers, and that's how you two are related."<p>

"Yes."

"Yes." Dimitri mimics his cousin sitting in the front passenger seat of the SUV. Vladimir's driving for us and I get to sit in the back with the little tyke.

"And Dimitri's mom is sisters with your mom and Tala's dad?" Kai sighs for what seems like the trillionth time in this car ride alone. He opens the glove compartment in front of him, pulls out a napkin and pen, and starts drawing on it. He turns around in his seat and shows me a little family tree made of circles, squares, and triangles.

"For the last time, Tyson," He starts, pointing out shapes on the napkin and explaining again. Sadly, yes. I'm so confused Kai's resorted to drawing diagrams. "My dad and Dimitri's dad are brothers. That makes us first generation cousins by blood. Dimitri's mom and Tala's dad are brother and sister. That makes Dimitri, Tala, and his sisters first generation cousins by blood as well. My mother, Dimitri's mother, and Tala's dad are cousins. That makes Tala and I second-generation cousins by marriages and third generation cousins by blood."

"Yeesh, scary runs in the family." The dual-blue haired Russian flicks me on the head with the pen. "Ouch, that stings!"

"Good." Kai smirks. "Now do you get it?"

"I think so. That's still pretty complicated, though." Kai snorts and rolls his eyes at me, properly sitting back in his seat and flipping down the visor mirror so he could see me and Dimitri in the back.

"Please, Tyson, a monkey can understand it. You're just an idiot."

"Tyson is idiot!" Dimitri cheered. I saw Kai's smirk widen in the mirror.

"Ka-ai! Not funny!"

"It's very funny, actually." He chuckles. Thankfully, for me, Vladimir sends Kai a single look to correct himself and his cousin and Kai has no choice but to obey. "Fine. You're not an idiot…here. You still will be back at your place."

I smugly grin, crossing my arms over my chest and relaxing in my seat victoriously. "I don't care. I'm not an idiot here, so that's good enough for me." Outside the car, I watch as we drive up and down different streets, people watching the public that walked around to who knows where and admiring the historic architecture among the new buildings. St. Petersburg really is a beautiful city. I think it actually beats Moscow in that aspect. "Kai, where is this carnival?"

"In the front grounds of the Imperial Winter Palace." He replies with ease. A cell phone goes off just then with the ringtone 'Like a Boss' playing and Kai picks up, back to speaking in his native tongue.

"Ian!" The toddler beside me exclaims. "Tell Ian Dimitri says privyet!" (1)

Winter Palace, Winter Palace…why does that sound familiar? I feel like I might've actually been in school when that was taught, but I can't remember. I probably fell asleep in that class. Instead, I observe Kai talk on the phone with whom Dimitri recognized to be Ian by the ringtone. In yet another pleasant change and surprise, the phoenix is dressed down in more casual clothes. He's wearing a black t-shirt with the number 92 in bold print on the front in red under a plaid red and black button down shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his arms. With this red and black color scheme he's got a wool-lined leather jacket on, jeans, and sneakers. His billowing white scarf, which he hasn't used in a while, is looped around his neck numerous times for warmth. He looks good in regular clothes.

I look back down at myself: the hooded jacket and gray-print scarf I'm wearing are a loan of his. He said my winter clothes were in no way adequate enough to spend a long amount of time outside at night. I fiddle with the scarf around my neck and bring it up to my nose, smelling it. It smells like him…he smells nice. Wait. Did I really just say that? It does, but…gah, I think all this time with Kai is starting to go to my head…

"Kai-bear, I'm hot." Dimitri complains beside me, trying to pull his thick sweater off over his head. The kiddie-car-seat he still has to sit in impedes him from successfully taking it off, and he begins to pout in a way that I know might lead to tears. He's dressed in a green, gray, and white sweater over a long sleeve shirt, jeans, and black boots. His white winter jacket is sitting on the empty seat beside him until we arrive. Kai is still distracted on the phone with Ian, moving his hands in front of himself like he's giving the Demolition Boy member directions.

"Dimitri, just hang tight, ok? We're almost there." I tell the little blue-haired boy with an encouraging grin. To help the crisis, I open my window to let the cold air circulate. The little phoenix sighs contently in relief, thanking me, and I catch Vladimir briefly glance at me with a gaze of approval before he returned his focus to driving. In the same instant, Kai also sent me a thankful gaze from his mirror. I silently smile back a 'you're welcome' and go back to watching the streets of St. Petersburg as we drove. As soon as I'd seen the carnival light from a distance, I felt like a little kid all over again. I have no idea why, but there's something about carnival that can make even the grouchiest of people inhibition-free and transforms everyone into a child again. It's the same effect as Disney World, if you spare to compare how crappy carnival rides are as opposed to Disney ones. It's the happiness you feel at heart that counts. I wonder if Kai likes carnivals like I do.

"CARNIVAL, YAAAAY! LET'S GO, LET'S GO, LET'S GO!"

…Dimitri certainly likes it.

The little Hiwatari was putting all his strength into dragging Kai towards the gates of the park as fast as he could. Kai was trying to get him to calm down before he hurt himself with so much energy. I hop out of the car and shut the door behind me, noticing Vladimir hasn't manifested to move. "Vladimir, aren't you coming?" I ask.

The butler shook his head. "Not today. I'm going to stay here and do some catch up reading on my novel, maybe try to get a quick nap in before you boys come back."

"You sure you'll be ok here by yourself?"

"I'll be quite alright, Mr. Tyson, thank you for your concern. You boys enjoy the rides and performances." Then, in a quieter voice, he says, "And remember what I said."

I nod, grinning. "You bet, just you wait! By the end of the night, Kai and I will be tighter than packaged chopsticks! See you later, Vladdy! I'll bring you back some cotton candy when we leave!" I promise him, running to catch up with Kai and Dimitri. The little boy holds onto my hand and Kai's, rambling to Kai in Russian. I glance around feeling like a fish out of water. I can't understand a thing anyone's saying. Guess I can't afford to get lost from my host family for the week. The sound of music, screams, and rides in action put me a little more at ease, and I excitedly take in the park's details as we get closer to it. There's a merry-go-round, flying swings, a star-blaster, and a plethora of other tall rides, not to mention all the other ones I can't see yet. Once inside the gates, tickets in hand thanks to Kai, there are prize game booths, food stands, and other attractions shuffled among themselves. The looming backdrop to this entire temporary park is the Royal Winter Palace, historical landmark of St. Petersburg and a national monument. Now that I see it, I do remember learning about it. It's the Romanov palace; the "castle" of the Anastasia movie. I always thought it was in Moscow, but I guess not.

"Wow…where do we start?" I grin, turning to my team captain for answers. He glances around in search of someone but doesn't seem to spot them, so he shrugs.

"Beats me. Ian said he was going to meet us here at the gate but I don't see him anywhere. Knowing him, he's probably lost. That moron can't even find his bellybutton to save his life." Huh, interesting information, Kai. "Since he's not here, I guess we'll just run into them eventually."

I can't help but fret. "Them? They're all here?" I cringe when Kai nods. "I'm scared of them. Will they eat me?"

Kai raises both his eyebrows at me in a 'really?' look. "Tyson, that's dumbest question you've asked since 'will the heat heat the car' on the drive here."

"Ugh, let it go, will you? I meant to ask 'will the heat heat the car fast' because I was cold." I pout, sticking my tongue out at him. The phoenix still smirks at me.

"Either way, you still asked if 'heat heats,' genius."

"Kai-bear, Kai-bear!" Dimitri hops up and down, yanking both my hand and Kai's. "Airplanes! I want to ride airplanes!" I spot the ride he's talking about: a children's airplane ride that goes around in circles, lifting the kids up and down in intervals. The little blue-haired boy's violet-crimson eyes sparkle with anticipation. "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please—!"

"Alright, alright, we're going. Relax, Dimitri, they aren't going to fly away." Kai chuckles. Dimitri all but screams with enthusiasm and starts pulling us impatiently toward the ride. There's barely a line, so we don't have to wait long to get the toddler on the ride. I stand and wait outside the gate while Kai went inside to sit Dimitri in one of the little airplanes, buckling the child in. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Kai really does have a way with kids.

"Bartok, is that Kai Hiwatari?" When you're in a country whose language you can't speak, you pick up on familiar words in an instant. A group of teenagers walk past behind me and I discreetly glance at them from over my shoulder. I don't recognize them from anywhere, but keep listening to their conversation until it's out of earshot. "I think it's him."

"Yeah, you're right. I wonder what he's doing here. I didn't think he'd show up in Russia again anytime soon."

"We should go see if we can get an autograph!"

"No way, Olga! Haven't you heard the stories? He's that almost-dictator guy Voltaire's grandson, the one that was abducting kids that's facing trial! That guy's nothing but bad news and a coward for hiding out in a different country."

"But he's in the Bladebreakers; he's not a bad guy anymore."

"Doesn't matter, he still helped out that Voltaire, remember? If he were here with the Bladebreakers then I'd feel safer to get an autograph…"

"Tyson," I jumped, not realizing Kai had come back. The dual-blue haired Russian leans on the ride's fence beside me, still checking to see if he can find Ian or any of the other Demolition Boys. The airplane ride starts spinning with a new set of kids, and Dimitri wave's goodbye at us as he pretends to take off. "What were you looking at?"

"Oh, nothing. I thought I saw Ian. My eyes were just playing tricks on me, though." I fib, storing the quick conversation I heard in the back of my mind. Dimitri comes around again on his plane and we both wave goodbye to him every time. "You know Kai, you really are a good brother figure to Dimitri. I wasn't lying when I told you that this morning." I say when I see the toddler's happy smile at the phoenix. "You're patient and kind to him. You know where to draw limits and when to switch from friend to teacher. It's really neat to see this side of you."

Kai is taken aback by my complement and almost doesn't know how to carry himself for a moment. He stumbles over himself before he finally answers. "Thanks, Tyson." I even got a grin out of him!

Now I'm smiling. "I'm dead serious! I also like your more talkative side, even if you are making fun of me most of the time. At least you're saying something, showing personality. It's much better than having to decipher grunts and glares all day."

"The only reason I glare all day is because I've never lived with so many helpless losers at once on a daily basis." The crimson-eyed teen defends himself. "You guys drive me nuts. When Kenny's not bawling about a file not responding on Dizzi's hard-drive, Max is trying some new innovated training method that always breaks something or gets himself injured. Whenever you're not complaining about being bored or hungry, Ray is playing master chef and setting the kitchen on fire. And now we have bossy little Hilary always complaining about you guys and your lack of a brain while trying to take my job as captain from me. Sometimes I wonder if it'd be easier to watch ten Dimitri's as opposed to the five of you guys."

My heart drops when I realize that he makes a good point. "You mean you'd rather hang out with someone else than us?" For some reason, I feel more heartbroken by this than I even expected.

Kai sees how quickly my face fell I think a fleck of concern flashes through his eyes. "Surprisingly…no. You idiots have grown on me. Ugh, that statement is a nightmare in itself." Relief washes over me when he says that, and I give him a playful shove on the shoulder.

"Hey, no calling me idiot, remember?"

"Dimitri can't hear me; I can call you idiot all I want, idiot." Is his argument and he shoves me back. I give him a challenging look. Two can play at this game, Kai! I shove my team captain back, and he, of course, isn't going to settle for loser, so we end up playing this push and shove game with each other.

"Kai? Kai!" A familiar voice calls. Both Kai and I turn around and spot Ian running straight for us. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Ian, how can you not find the main gate to the amusement park? It's how you got in here." The phoenix greets his former teammate with just as much sympathy as he usually does with the Bladebreakers back home. Good to know he doesn't give the Demolition Boys special treatment. He pounds fists with the short, purple-haired teen. Never mind.

"Hey, I'm short and this place is huge. I have an excuse. I heard some park-goers saying they thought they saw you around here so I came to check. I also heard some people saying they saw Tyson from the Bladebreakers…" Finally, Ian realizes I'm standing next to Kai, and his jaw drops. I guess Kai didn't tell the Demolition Boys I'd be coming either. This should go over well. "You brought him with you?"

Kai nods, "My entire team's off this week due to personal schedules." Ian then rudely switches to Russian with Kai, as if I don't know they're standing right there talking about me. They discuss the topic that is me for exactly six seconds before Kai decidedly finishes the conversation and Dimitri's ride ends. Both Ian and I follow Kai to the ride's exit, where Dimitri comes running out to us.

"Hey Tyson, long time no see! Yeah, it's been a while, Ian, what's up? Oh nothing, I'm just talking about you in your face in Russian since you can't do anything about it." I say to myself, getting the viper beyblader's attention. He scoffs a laugh.

"Damn straight. That's the best part about tourists; they never understand what you're saying." He tells me. Then, unexpectedly, he holds out his hand for a handshake rather amicably. I toss my hard feelings away and greet him with a grin. "Dimitri!" He exclaims, messing up the little Hiwatari's hair. "What's up, little man?" Dimitri shouts in excitement and starts ranting to Ian in Russian. "C'mere, you little rascal. How's your school vacation week with Kai been?" He picks up the Kai look-alike and leads the way to where the other Demolition Boys are. Dimitri tells him the tall tales of his week with Kai and me so far in Russian. I only understand my name and my captain's when he talks.

As we make our way through the crowd, I notice how some people watch with wary eyes as we pass. Not at me, but the Beybladers I'm with. And more specifically, at Kai. Maybe I'm just over-reading this, but I've been a little restless since I heard those teenagers talking about Kai. It reminded me of what Vladimir told me before as well. It seems like even in his hometown Kai is still unwelcome to some people. It makes me a little angry. Actually, scratch that. It makes me really angry. Who the hell do they think they are to make assumptions and false accusations at Kai like that? It's Boris and Voltaire who did all the crap, so why is Kai taking just as much trash talk for it? Mmrg, dammit, I should've made Vladimir cough up more answers back at the house when I had the chance! I completely froze up from being caught red-handed. Voltaire and Boris were the criminals, not Kai. So what makes Kai so deeply involved that they treat him the same way? Other than the fact that Voltaire is Kai's grandfather and Boris was Kai's beyblading mentor. Mental sticky note: get back into that storage room tonight with the Russian dictionary Kai gave me. There were some boxes with court file copies, and I'm going to translate as much as I can.

"Tyson!" The toddler smiles at me, trying to crawl out of Ian's arms and ask me to carry him. "I want Tyson!" Ian's outraged with the child's choice of person and Kai is flat-out surprised. I'm flattered. Dimitri prefers me over Ian! Score one for the foreigner!

"What? You like Tyson more than me now?" Ian inquires, his short temper starting to flare.

"No, I like Tyson like I like Ian, but Ian is 'shimp' and Dimitri can't see."

Kai bursts out laughing, trying to hide the grin of his laugh behind his hand. "Who're you calling shrimp? Kai, don't laugh at that, douche bag! I bet he learned it from you!" I stare mesmerized at Kai. His grin is so close to the smiles I saw in the pictures, but it's not quite there, and he's hiding it. His laughter, however, is contagious, and I can't help but laugh along with him.

I think I'm going to set myself a second mission for my vacation: to make Kai smile like he used to as a kid.

* * *

><p>In the center of the amusement park, right in front of the staircase up to the main entrance of the Winter Palace, there is a performance stage built with seating set up in a half-circle in front of it. Kai, Dimitri, and I have seats at nearly center-front of the stage, about six rows back. Ian left us here to go sit with Tala, whom he was sitting with before he went to go find us. He and the red-headed wolf have front row seats also near the front, but on the right side of the stage instead of the left like us. Ian said that Bryan and Spencer were around here somewhere, but he didn't know. Kai was right; Ian really does have a lousy sense of direction and losing track of people.<p>

The phoenix beside me explained that we were here to see Tala's little sisters' performance with their dance school. Apparently, for the time being that this carnival is in town, they rent the performance stage out to different entertainment groups for self-promotion, and the girls'—Aleksei and Lara, if I recall correctly—secured themselves a performance tonight. Kai says the school dabbles in various different styles of dance, so he had no idea what we'd see. All he knows is that we're guaranteed to see a little bit of ballet and Russian folk dance. It's the school's main focus and what Tala's little sisters take. Dimitri's better informed than his older cousin, because he claims he knows what song the girls are dancing to. A widely popular Russian folk song called Kalinka. The toddler's been trying to teach me the words for fifteen minutes now, but my shivering makes it that much harder for me to pronounce the words he wants me to say.

"Nyeeet, Tyson! Say kah-leen-ka. Kalinka, Kalinka, Kalinka, moya! V sadu yagoda malinka, malinka moya! " He sings, expecting me to follow along. I hug the little violet-crimson eyed boy on my lap closer for warmth. Why is Russian so damn cold? I'm so glad Kai let me borrow his scarf and jacket, I'd be screwed otherwise. (2)

"H-how is it that p-people ever h-h-had the idea of creating a country in R-Russia? It's s-s-s-so cold here!" Dimitri feels sympathy for me and hugs me tightly, putting my song-cramming session aside. I turn to Kai, who's huddled to himself with his arms folded together and legs crossed, hiding his nose, mouth, and cheeks beneath he billows of his scarf. "How are you not freezing?"

"It's not that cold."

"Yeah, s-says the guy s-slowly d-d-disappearing beneath layers of his g-giant scarf." I smartly retort, doing the same as him and hiding in my loaned scarf. I get a good whiff of Kai cologne and let out another silent shiver. "S-Show off." I mutter. The lights dim down and illuminate on stage, signaling that the show's about to start. Dimitri sits facing forward in my lap, all eyes and ears for the show.

The performances start, as Kai predicted, with a short ballet routine featuring all the members of the dance school participating. Their ages seem to range from eight or nine all the way up to young adults. They twirl; they skip on the tip of their toes, the whole boring ballet routine… I bite my tongue not to complain of boredom when suddenly the music skids to a stop and all the performers freeze. The new beat that starts playing makes most of the performers exit with a new beat in their feet; others remove articles of their clothing to reveal baggy jeans, tights, and form-fitting tops. It's hip-hop. Now this is more like it! The audience cheers the new routine and claps in unison to the beat. "It's Aleksei!" Dimitri exclaims, pointing at a young redheaded girl on stage. Her long hair is pulled back into a ponytail that was in a bun just a few minutes ago, now whipping around in clean-cut steps and dance moves. She was dressed in a short jeans miniskirt that was concealed by the enormous tutu of her ballet routine. The tight glittery silver top she used for the ballet routine also fit the hip-hop routine. What really impresses me is how quickly and unoticeably they jumped into sneakers before they started. They still have their ballet shoes on under them. Kai asked something to Dimitri in Russian out of reflex and the boy answered in the same language. I didn't even mind that I was left out.

Just as unexpectedly as it started, hip-hop transitioned into some sort of Latin dance. I have no idea what; they all look the same to me. The hip-hop performers rolled of stage and the Latin dancers spun in with a number that looked like they had firecrackers under their feet. The crowd also cheers this on. "Now it's Lara! LA-RA!" The violet-eyed boy in my lap cheers, pointing at another redheaded girl. Or is it the same? Wait. Isn't that the same girl that was doing the hip-hop routine just a second ago? Unless—no. NOOOOO.

Tala's little sisters…are twins. Oh, hell.

After the Latin number, both little red-headed girls disappeared for the next three dance routines (waltz, swing, and jazz) until the final number. Both girls entered from opposite sides of the stage, dressed in yellow and blue full dresses with ballet shoes back on and a beaded crown-like headdress tied on their head with a giant bow in the back. Two little boys in outfits that matched the girls' dresses emerged right after. The Kalinka song Dimitri tried so hard to teach me started to play, and the audience all began to join in song. Dimitri, of course, didn't miss out. The Russian Folk dance routine began with just the two couples of little kids, and slowly more student of the school joined in until finally everyone was there. Russian folk dance, by the way, is that crazy dance only Russians seem to be able to do. The one where the guys are squatted on the floor and kicking their legs out like no big deal and the girls spin like marionettes a zillion times in a row without losing balance or getting dizzy. I give them sooo much credit for it. I tried making fun of Kai once and doing the whole squat-kicking thing…yeah, it didn't work out too well. I pulled a muscle and went a whole week without being able to stand by myself. Shit. They really are twins: identical twins. And here I thought one Ivanov was bad enough. There are three of them.

At long last the performance ended, and everyone rose to applaud the dancers that bowed in thanks. Tala, in the front row, was hollering with Ian like they were cheering at the end of a rock concert. Kai takes my hand and pulls me out of the aisle we were sitting at, clearing the way for Dimitri and me as we make our way down to stage front to meet up with Tala. I hang on to the little boy tightly as we weave through people, hearing a few more scattered whispers about Kai's presence here. They're all oddly similar to the conversation I heard earlier.

"Kai! What took you so long, bozo, you came this close to missing the girls!" Poor Kai is captured in a headlock by Tala. The wolf digs his fist in a noogie in Kai's scalp, scolding him while chuckling. Kai yelped out in pain and tried squirming out of his hold. "Did they rock or what?"

"Tala, you're hurting me," Kai chokes out.

"But did they rock?"

"Da, you psycho, let go!"

"Tala, stop hurting Kai-bear." The little phoenix in my arms scolds his other cousin. Tala beams an innocent smile at the little blue-haired Hiwatari until his eyes land on me. His expression perfectly mirrors the O-face texting icon, not believing who he's seeing. He still hasn't let Kai go, and Ian watches all this with a smirk in his eyes. Before the leader of the world's most feared beyblading team can even say anything, two tall shadows cast over me from behind. I swallow thickly when I hear their voices.

"No way." Bryan gasps behind me. His harsh voice sends a shiver down my spine. One year later and the memory of what this guy did to Ray is still the first thing that pops up in my mind when I think of him. Then his other peculiar hobbies follow: blood lust for violence and injury, a keen interest in trying to turn anything and everything into a weapon…things people that were being brainwashed into cold-blooded killers enjoy.

"Well, this is a surprise. Kai brought you here? Spencer adds right after. Oh boy…the other tall and scary beyblading menace. I'm so dead meat right now. I should've written a will before I left the house.

"Bryan, Spency!" Maybe, if I survive this, ten thousand years from now, I'll look back at how cowardly I feel as opposed to how safe and right at home Dimitri feels and laugh. I instinctively hold the toddler closer. They won't lay a finger on me while I'm holding him. Dimitri is my safety ticket out of here. Of course, Fate hates me, and she makes Dimitri want to go to Spencer…fantastic. The tall blonde Russian takes the little boy out of my arms and I'm left cowering by myself. Now I really am going to die.

"Why didn't you tell us you were bringing a Bladebreaker runt with you, Kai?" Bryan asks, giving me a punch behind the shoulder. I stumble forward a little and turn around. Just like with Ian, he also had his hand out to greet me. When did the Demolition Boys learn manners? I shake hands with him hesitantly—my hand crushed under the strength of his—and slowly start to loosen up when I start to see that he has no evil intentions for me here. I then see the kid between him and Spencer. He looks nine, maybe ten, and has the same piercing green eyes and lavender hair color as Bryan…Bryan has a little brother? Is there anyone else around here with secret family members?

"Viktor, you said you always wanted to meet the new world beyblading champion...here." Bryan prompts his sibling with a bored and detached voice. Viktor has the same creepy, scary way of staring into your soul that Bryan does. I guess that's a family thing.

"He looks much taller on TV." He scrutinizes me, taking a step closer to compare his height and mine. Unlike with Bryan, where he just barely made it to the height of his elbow, the boy's head reached my shoulder. Thanks, kid. There goes a little more of my ego.

"Psh, no…he doesn't look that much taller on TV." Bryan says with no hesitation to take another stab at me. "TV gives the same height illusion as it does weight illusion: it's all about angles." Spencer shakes my hand in greeting while playing with Dimitri, lifting the little toddler to touch the stage behind us. Finally, I turn to Tala, who, somewhat reluctantly, shakes my hand last. He finishes his private conversation that he was having with Kai while I was getting reacquainted with tall-and-scary one and two.

"Long time no see, Tyson." The redhead says, an amicable grin on his face. Strange…I guess they really must be changing since the world tournament in Moscow. I feel safe enough to smile back at them; Kai seems to have a nervous weight lifted off his shoulders as well. "You're a lot quieter than I remember…is that Kai's jacket?"

"He's more confident when he's got the peanut gallery with him, but no, he's still as loud-mouthed and pesky as ever." Kai explains, also throwing in, "He had no real winter clothes in his suitcase. I'd get in trouble if I flew back short a team member."

"What a shame…Oh, I know what you mean: I feel a stronger need for scaring people whenever I hang out with Bryan." Of course he would. Behind him, two little seven-year-old girls pop up still in their golden-yellow and blue dance dresses, duffle bags draped over their shoulders. "There you are! The best little dancers in all of Russia!" He gushes, kneeling down to their height and hugging both twins.

"Kai, can I ask you something?" I tentatively inquire my team captain.

"I'm surprised you still haven't." He answers. In other words, yes.

"You have your little cousin. Bryan has a little brother. Tala has twin sisters. Is there ANYTHING else I'm missing here?" Just as I've seen in a sitcom, all the Russians around me share the same look with each other and turn back to me.

"Nope. I'm an only child." Ian tells me. "Oh, no, wait, Spencer has an older sister; she's Aleksei and Lara's ballet instructor." I'm starting to get a headache from all this.

We stayed playing in the parks for hours after Aleksei and Lara's performance. For the most part, we migrated around the rides and games together. The only times we'd split up were when the rides chosen were for specifically older riders. When that happened, Kai and I would stay with Dimitri, Tala, and his twin sister menaces. Let me tell you, Lara and Aleksei certainly look like blue-eyed, redheaded angels, but they are not. They're sneaky and evil masterminds just like Tala. That trait must run in their family. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm glad Dimitri is more like Kai. Yeah, I know, who would've guessed, right?

Right now we're split up. We have time for one more game or ride before the park closes for the evening. Spencer, Ian, Bryan, and Viktor wanted to go ride the star shooter before we left, so that's where they went off to. They were placing bets on who'd throw up first. Or the alternative: who'd scream or piss their pants like a little girl first. Loser, according to the four, would have to chug spoiled milk…I made a mental note to NEVER place bets with them when I heard it.

Dimitri, Aleksei, and Lara? Well…

"You guys want to go in there?" I ask incredulously, staring between them and the haunted house. A five-year-old and two seven-year-olds want to go in a haunted house. Russians are fucked.

Like me, Kai doesn't seem too fond of the idea. He bites down on the corner of his lower lip and frowns. "I'm not too sure that's a good idea." He ponders. I'm so glad Kai's a responsible, level-headed individual. Hell, even I know better than to let little kids go in there.

Tala, however, is not on the same page. "Awesome! Let's go! Last one in is buying us all cotton candy!" He takes Aleksei's hand and races for the haunted house. Lara and Dimitri, holding hands, are hot on their heels. I knew Tala wasn't right in the head.

"Isn't this a bad idea? They'll have nightmares." I turn to Kai expecting to see some protest, but instead I see something completely different. I have a hunch on what it might be, but I'm going to wait a little longer to see if it's true.

"Yeah, but that moron's already enabled them. They won't listen to me now." The phoenix answers. He visibly shrinks when we enter the haunted house. There are no lines left, so Tala and the kids were already sitting in a car and heading into the dark tunnel of the ride. I heard the wolf give the children with him this piece of advice: if you feel scared before something jumps out to scare you, scream. Great advice, Tala. Greeeat advice…

"Should we wait out here?" I ask Kai. I'm not gonna lie, I kind of want to go. I love riding in these haunted houses and seeing how poorly made the props are. "It's the last ride we'll get to go one before we leave. Let's just go!" Without waiting for an answer, I grab Kai by the wrist and pull him into the last car available, signaling for the person operating the ride to hurry up. "Whoo, let's go! Bring on the scary!"

"Tyson, quit it! You're so embarrassing!" The crimson-eyed teen scolds me, yanking me to sit back down in my seat as our little car starts driving itself into the darkness. Father ahead in the tunnel I hear Tala and the little kids screaming and laughing. I enthusiastically yell out of adrenaline and I think they yell back at me.

"BEST RIDE EVER!" The crazy redhead with the kids shouts. I'm not sure if I should feel safe with Tala's insanity or not. I certainly don't know how Kai trusts to leave Dimitri in the redhead's care. Not with how overprotective he is over the little guy.

"Oh my God…" Kai shrinks into the seat, covering his face with his hands and shaking his head in shame. "Why am I only friends with losers?"

"Because you're a loser too, smart one." I wittily retort. Eerie lighting blinks on and off, vaguely highlighting figures on the walls around us and casting long, creepy shadows. There's a bunch of tiny spiders crawling up on the wall and spider webs strewn everywhere. Little red eyes glow in the darkness at us. I feel my teammate edge closer to me against the seat and catch the look on his face. "Oh my God!"

Kai raises his eyebrow at me, his signature move. "What?"

"You're scared of the dark!" I let out a single laugh of disbelief. Kai glares at me indignantly.

"Oh please, Tyson, I'm not scared of the dark." He says in a 'spare me' tone of voice. Just then, a giant spider drops down from the ceiling over our heads and hisses at us, shooting silly-string spider web at us from its mouth and staring us down with leering red eyes. Both Kai and I scream. "Fucking hell!" For the record, he screamed louder than me. I pull the silly string off me with good humor while he rips it off him with more urgency.

I now come to a better conclusion. "You're scared of haunted house rides? Are you serious? I can't believe this!"

"I'm not scared of them, Tyson. I have much worse things to be scared about." He corrects me, glaring even more. I can't take him seriously anymore. Kai—THE Kai—fears something! "I just hate not knowing what's going to pop up."

"Right. So you're scared of haunted house rides." I conclude with a smarmy tone.

"No." He tells me again through gritted teeth. As we enter the next leg of the ride, an axe murderer doll drops its axe down right over Kai's head. He yells and pushes himself to my side of the seat, practically clinging to me. My grin is cynical.

"Kai's scared of haunted houses!" I sing.

"Fuck you, Tyson!" The dual-blue haired teen snaps at me, shoving me away from him and sulking in his corner of the seat. I hop over to the front seat and sit backwards so I can face him. He sees that my ego has flourished more than his pride and he gives me the middle finger, turning to look away from me. Up ahead, I hear Tala and his sisters' scream again. For some reason, Dimitri's the only one laughing.

"Aw, Kai, don't be such a sourpuss. It's ok to be afraid of haunted house rides. You never know what plastic prop is going to jump out at you next." I tease him to no end as we move from the butcher's room, away from all the severed limbs and fake blood, to a graveyard. There were zombies and skeletons and plenty of grave stones. A 3D lights effect made it look like the grim reaper was coming straight toward us. Kai now gave me two middle fingers for my smart mouth and closed his eyes. "Now you're just spoiling all the fun."

"Yeah? Well I'm not going to sit here and be your entertainment." He retorts acidicly, groaning a frown when the other half of our party screams laughter again up ahead. "God fucking dammit, why does Tala have to keep making them yell like that?"

"Kai, you sure do swear a lot when you're scared."

"I'M NOT SCARED!" The phoenix barks at me, kicking my seat hard. I chuckle, but decide to hold my hands up in defeat. He really is freaked out, even if it's not as much as I'd like to see. He's just too proud to show his fear.

"Fine, you win. I'll keep a lookout and tell you what's coming up ahead, deal?"

"Whatever. I don't need your pity; I'm not frightened in the least." He scoffs, still glaring at me. Evil laughter booms in the speakers overhead and he shrinks into his seat even more. Up ahead, we hear manic laughter, and for the first time in the entire ride Tala, Dimitri, and the twins' shrill screams seem legitimate. While I'm curious, Kai seems like he might tweak out. We go through another two different themed tunnels in the ride: a twisted clown house (I admit, this one freaked me out too) and a vampire castle (yawn). The last tunnel we reach freaks me out even more than the clowns did. Kai crawls over to sit in the front with me, his crimson eyes wide and alert as he inspects the room around us. It's the theme of an abandoned hospital, with broken glass and surgical tools scattered everywhere, loose electrical ends sparking, and disease-stricken/surgery-gone-wrong dummies in wheelchairs, on crutches, and on surgery tables. Our car had been moving oddly slower than it started off in the beginning of the ride and it suddenly stopped. Kai's let out a quiet gasp. We were stuck in silence with nothing but the moans and groans of the ride track and the electrical whirrs of the props.

"Is this supposed to happen?" The phoenix beside me asked, a bit of a waver in his voice. I look up ahead and see the dim light of the end of the tunnel, the end of the ride, but not other cars stopped.

"I don't know." I shrug, giving Kai a snarky eye. "You scaaared?"

"Tyson, this isn't the time to—." A loud metallic clang echoed in the tunnel, sounding like something fell. We both gasp in surprise at the same time. Kai's hand grips mine.

Ok, now I'm kind of freaked out.

"I think the ride's broken." Kai quickly concludes, scanning the area in front of us. I notice his hand is slightly shaking. I look around as well, and when I turn around I don't like what I see. On the tracks is a figure in a surgical suit with a syringe in his hand. When he sees that I've spotted him, he starts walking toward us. "We should—."

"K-Kai," I tug on his jacket with my free hand, pointing back. The surgeon steps into a small sliver of light and we see his disfigured and cut up face with blood oozing and an eyeball hanging out of an eye socket. He lets out a dreary moan and raises the syringe, running at us.

Kai and I scream at the top of our lungs.

The dual-blue haired Russian is quick to react. He jumps out of the car fluidly and pulls me with him. We hit the ground running, following the tracks to the exit. The surgeon behind us runs faster, if possible, gaining up on us fast. "Kai, I am so fucking sorry I made fun of you before, this is the scariest end to a haunted house I've ever been on!" I apologize, screaming and crying all the same. I think I might die here!

"Tyson, just shut up and run faster!" He yells at me, fear now obvious in his voice. He never once lets go of my hand and pulls me closer to him. It felt like we'd never make it, but we finally burst out of the haunted house's tunnel. Kai throws me ahead of him and I stumble and fall on the tracks. Turning around, I see the crimson-eyed teen stand right next to the exit, panting heavily and in stealth mode. The surgeon runs out of the tunnel as well and I let out a scream before Kai takes him down with a precise blow to the stomach. The man behind the mask yelps out in pain and doubles over on his knees, holding his stomach. His co-worker, the man in charge of the cars, laughs from behind the operating booth. Tala was waiting with his little sisters and cousin by the souvenir booth and saw the whole thing. He laughed as well.

After the overwhelming fear drained away from me and my adrenaline calmed down, I started laughing as well. Kai sends me a glance of incredulity. "What the hell are you laughing at?"

"Us!" I tell him, holding my sides. "They just pranked us big time! Oh man, Kai, you should see the look on your face!" Kai was not happy when he realized that it really was a prank, and we were the sorry suckers that were last to go on the ride today, thus the victims. He told off the operators in Russian for the prank they just pulled, and then he walked over to me and kicked me in the side for laughing at his expense.

Kai fun fact number two: Kai is scared of haunted houses. Do not test his fear or you'll get hurt. (For the record, it was completely worth the kick in the side.)

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><p>1) Privyet: "hello"<p>

2) Kalinka, kalinka, kalinka moya! V sadu yagoda malinka, malinka moya!: "Little snowberry, snowberry, snowberry of mine! Little raspberry in the garden, my little raspberry!" As said, this is a real, traditional Russian folk song.

A/n: Whew! I'm exhausted! So much just happened: more secret Russian family members, rude random people, and a first, kind-of legitimate Tyson/Kai moment! And would you believe there's still more to come?

Tune in next time for—you guessed it—nightmares. What else did you expect? They did just let a five-year-old on a haunted ride. His won't be the only nightmares, though…


	7. A Family Secret (I)

**VelvetSoulPanda- **For some reason, I've been having issues with fanfiction's emailing system. Usually when you put up a new chapter, you get an email notification that it's been processed. I didn't get that, or any emails from reviews. I panicked and thought you guys all suddenly bailed on me xDx I cried a little inside when I checked the Beyblade story archives and saw that the new chapter had indeed gone through, was on the first page, and had a few more reviews. (insert pathetic troll-face of weeping joy here TwT) I've sent a message to the support board and hopefully a reply comes through soon :]

On the reviewer note, I thank each and every one of you again for the support, constructive criticisms, and self-confidence to keep me writing this story. You guys have no idea how happy I am to read them.

On a different random note, to the reader _**Hirurg**_ who sent me a tweet…I peed myself a little out of sheer joy :D I've always wanted a twitter stalker! (glomps)

Anyways, onto the next chapter! Before we return to smiles and fun and games and more insanity with the Demolition Boys…we have this. There's a fair amount of content up next, so I had to split this chapter into two halves. Don't say I didn't warn ya!

**Summary:..** A spontaneous invitation to spend a week in Russian with Kai makes Tyson determined to uncover what makes his team captain tick. However what Tyson bites off is more than he might be able to chew, and more is on the line now than just dirty little secrets. [Yaoi]

**Genres:..** This story falls under the following categories- Humor/Romance

**Disclaimer:..** VelvetSoulPanda does not own Beyblade or any other commercial/marketing references that may appear throughout the story. WARNING: Yaoi fanfiction. If it's something you're against than please, don't make a big deal about it? Just go back to the story selection page and pick something else.

**Beta Reader:..**None (I've gotten two offers and intend to give you guys an answer as of this chapter!)

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><p><strong>Real Life Nightmares (Part I)<strong>

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><p>At nearly midnight, the streets of St. Petersburg were significantly quieter than they were during daylight hours, <em>especially<em> given the fact that it was a weeknight. Were it not for school vacation, the Demolition Boys still wouldn't be out at this hour. Yes, despite it being difficult to believe, each one of the former world champion Beybladers had taken up going back to public schools after being freed from Biovolt. Their parents protested it, their therapists protested it—hell, even the police investigating the Biovolt case were against the boys returning to such an open social environment so shortly after leaving the criminal organization they were prisoners of. Yet all their pleas of waiting a year fell on deaf ears. They couldn't fathom why the Demolition Boys were so keen on re-entering the society normal for their age just a month after the world tournament to which they lost their title as world champions.

The Russian bladers doubted that anyone would ever figure it out, but a certain dual-blue haired friend of theirs was the one who set the example for them. Sometimes the best cure for a problem is to let it go and try to move on. Letting go, they knew, was more than likely impossible. What they lived through in Biovolt was as ingrained into their memories as the numerical tattoos of concentration camp victims. Yet, just like the phoenix in the Bladebreakers, living with normal kids eased the pain and tension of transitioning.

The snow had begun to fall a little over thirty minutes ago, just when they'd started their itineraries home. The Demolition Boys all piled into Bryan's SUV for rides home: Spencer was the only other teen licensed in the car, but since he'd driven to the carnival with his sister and the adult clearly wasn't planning on returning home with her boyfriend anytime soon, the dirty blonde took a lift from his teammate. Ian had driven to the temporary amusement park with the falcon and his younger brother anyway, so Bryan didn't mind giving him a lift home either. He was going to go home with Spencer, but, y'know…the guy's sister had a booty call to attend to, so they couldn't protest it.

Besides, they all agreed that if any of them were in Gavriil's—the boyfriend's—shoes, they'd hate if someone made Inna—Spencer's sister—leave. Spencer _despised_ when they ragged on him about it, but Inna was _hot_.

As for Tala, he'd gone to the event with his little twin sisters via public transportation and was intent on returning home in the same fashion. Bryan wouldn't hear excuses and loaded the little girls into his car. They were practically asleep from exhaust; no _way_ was Tala going to manage to get them back home like that by himself.

"_Hey guys, did you know it was gonna snow tonight?"_ Ian asked, talking over the three sleeping children in the middle seat of the SUV to the Russian teens in the driver and passenger seat. Bryan replied with a curt, wordless nod.

"_Enough snow to bury you in it."_ Spencer joked with the purple-haired teen that was an ant in height compared to him. Ian glared at the dirty blonde that snickered and elbowed him in the side. _"Don't you __**ever**__ pay attention to the news when you watch it?"_

"_I haven't watched the news lately. Not a lot of it anyway. I've been trying to understand what makes the general public so hooked on this stuff called 'reality TV.' I've been watching it for the past month."_ Ian explained to his best friend. _"There's this thing broadcasted on an American channel on satellite called _Jersey Shore_…fucking ridicu—."_

"_Ian, watch your language you dumbass."_ Bryan sneered, making an obligatory stop at a four-way intersection before turning right. _"There are kids in the car."_ He scolded, glaring for a brief moment from the rear view mirror.

"_They're asleep!"_ The teen argued back only to be hissed at again to keep quiet. _"Why do you get away with swearing then?"_

"_My car, my rules."_

"_It's your mom's car, not yours. She hasn't given it to you yet."_

"_Right, so Kuznetsov car, Kuznetsov rules. Shut the hell up with the swears."_ The lavender-haired boy said again. He smirked to himself when Ian muttered about the falcon being a hypocrite. A lot of people, even his mother, thought he didn't bother with censoring himself or others around his little brother, or children for that matter. He did care. The driver glanced over to Tala, sitting beside him, staring out into the sleeping streets with a pensive gaze.

"_Green light, Bryan."_ The redhead told him. He stared long enough to lose his focus on the task at hand: driving. They drove for another ten minutes listening to Ian tell them about mind-rotting powers of reality TV giving examples of the _Jersey Shore_ series he spoke of until he pulled up in front of Spencer's house. By then, he'd noted that the snow was starting to come down significantly harder. He also made a note to never watch reality TV. From what Ian described, it's like a train wreck of needless drama—half a year's worth of drama crammed into every thirty minutes or hour of the program. From what he could also tell, much like a train wreck, you also can't seem to stop watching it. For someone who was only researching it, Ian seems to care a little too much about taking participants sides. Figures…he _would_ get himself roped into a stupid TV show.

"_Yo Spence, you think your parents would mind if I crashed here for the night? My dad's probably out drinking with his girlfriend and I don't feel like going to my mom's place. She'd probably yell at me for showing up so late."_ Ian asked, getting a 'sure, why not' in reply. He grinned and started hopping out of the car after Spencer, waving the duo in the front seats goodbye.

"_Guys, we should go up the mountain tomorrow Zorba balling. We can take sleds up too and spend the day there."_ Spencer suggested to the falcon and the wolf. _"It's probably the last large amount of snow we'll be getting for a while. We can take Kai, Dimitri, and Mr. Hot-Shot world champion too. You up for it?"_ Ian nodded vociferously at the idea, approving it to no end. Bryan nodded, mentioning that he and Viktor hadn't used the Zorba ball in a while and that he's game with the idea. Tala nodded in agreement, but his mind was still wandering. _"Sweet, catch you guys tomorrow morning, then. Goodnight!"_

"_See ya later!"_ Ian waved off again, shutting the door as quietly as he could to not disturb the kids. Bryan waited until both teens had opened the front door and headed inside before pulling away. Next stop was Tala's place.

"_You're thinking about Kai, aren't you?"_ The lavender-haired teen asked, even though he knew the answer. Judging from expression, he didn't pull the redhead out of his reverie, but he got him talking.

"_Not just Kai, everything..."_ Tala started, checking his phone for messages. _"Our parents are in France for Voltaire's trial this week. I know it's not the definitive answer for his fate, but whatever happens there as of today is going to affect Kai the most out of all of us. I thought…I don't know, I thought he'd be showing __**some**__ sort of reaction from it, but he's even __**more**__ locked up than ever."_ He explains. Bryan immediately caught on to the blue-eyed teen's frustration of thought logic. Tala laughed once sarcastically, forced, _"And then, for some reason…for some __**unfathomable**__ reason, he brought that brat Tyson here with him."_

Bryan's expression and posture exuded indifference save for one thing: the intrigue his eyes betrayed. He raised an eyebrow at the irritation that started to radiate from the teen beside him, making a turn onto a main avenue. _"I get it that you're surprised, but it's not __**that**__ improbable of Kai to have brought him here. The better question is why he still hangs out with the Bladebreakers. He has no reason to stay with them anymore."_

"_No, Bryan, it's not just that. Right now it's __**why**__ he decided to bring one of them up here __**now**__, in what's probably the most important week of his life to date. It's like…it's like he doesn't even care!"_ Tala growled, his free hand balling into a fist while his other hand gripped his cell phone tighter. _"Kai's fate hangs in the balance with Voltaire and Boris'. If something comes up during either of their trials that causes the court to question Kai's involvement further, who's to say they won't convict him just like those two ass—!"_ The teen caught himself just in time, lowering his tone of voice and dropping that bit of his argument entirely. _"All I'm saying is that Kai's really starting to piss me off. He's behaving more aloof and carelessly than ever, he won't talk to me or his parents, and for the past month he's just been avoiding this topic with everyone that knows completely."_

"_Has it ever crossed your mind that for once Kai might actually be fearful again? You know as well as I do that when he's legitimately scared he becomes reclusive to the world."_ Bryan argued. He broke away from a different avenue and into a backstreet leading to an apartment complex. Tala glared into the snowing night harder.

"_If he's scared then why won't he just tell me, damnit? He's here with that stupid Tyson and using him as a shield or –who knows—he might have even talked to __**him**__ about it and he won't tell me! I don't like that he's here, Bryan. If Kai brought him here and hasn't told him a thing, then shit is going to happen, and I won't sit quietly and wait for that to happen."_ The wolf snarled. Bryan pulled to a stop in front of Tala's building out of the cluster in the neighborhood, and the redhead angrily stomped out of the car and around to the driver's side of the car to get his little sisters. He hooked the keys around his neck, then gently pulled Lara into his arms and rested the girl's head on his shoulders. All the while, Bryan watched him bicker to himself under his breath. _"It's like he doesn't even trust me anymore, that ungrateful little dick…"_ Bryan rolled his eyes. Like himself, if his twin sisters were asleep or weren't around, Tala swore like a drunken sailor at Mardi Gras. Tala took his little sister Lara up to his house on the third floor first, putting her straight-away to bed. When he went back outside to get Aleksei, Bryan was at the building's front door with the girl already in his arms. His car was still soliciting out front with the engine on to keep his own little brother warm inside. With a grateful nod, Tala gingerly took the scarlet-haired girl from the falcon.

What he didn't expect was for Bryan to kiss him in the process.

"_Tal, stop thinking so much about this, you're going to give yourself a hernia. Kai is Kai. You know what he's like better than I do; you two practically grew up together. When he can't handle the pressure on his own anymore you know you're the first person he's going to come to. So just sit back and wait until that day comes."_ The green-eyed teen saw that his random show of affection caught his boyfriend off guard and he inwardly smirked to himself. Tala would usually yell at him for it and blush his little sisters' favorite shade of pink, but right now the redhead was so tired from a long day that he settled for a light glare that didn't look all that intimidating with the blush.

"…_Why do you think he brought Tyson here, then?"_ Tala inquired, still puzzled and pissed about that one little detail that boggled him.

Bryan shrugged, _"For the exact reason he told you. Kai's not made of stone, remember? He gives a rat's ass about his little team for some reason. Quit trying to read between the lines."_ The falcon said, playfully mocking the phoenix, and not reading into Kai's actions unlike his counterpart. _"And one more thing: stop checking your phone all the time for calls and texts. I'm pretty sure that if anything important happened in France, your parents or aunts and uncles would've called by now. Go pop some stress relievers and get to bed. I'll be here at nine to get you and the girls to go Zorba-balling."_

Tala huffed, his lips forming a slight pout and his eyes recuperating the glare they forgot how to do just moments before. _"I'm going to get an answer out of him."_ The wolf said with determination. Bryan rolled his eyes and placed another, longer kiss on his love's lips before leaving.

"_See ya in the morning, Tala."_ By the time he'd walked back to the car Tala had already disappeared into his apartment with his little sister, safe at home, and Bryan hopped back into the car. He was a little surprised to find that Viktor had gotten up and sat in the passenger seat beside him. The nine-year-old was trying his hardest not to fall asleep again while curled up in a ball in his seat. _"I could swear you were asleep just two minutes ago."_

Viktor shook his head no despite clearly lying. _"Was not."_

"_Was to."_

"_Nuh-uh."_

"_Yeah-huh."_

"_Hey, Bryan, want to know what I saw?"_ The child asked as they set a course back home, driving slowly in the snow to avoid any accidents. The falcon sent him a look: enlighten me. _"Bryan and Tala kissing in a tree, thinking that we all can't see!"_ He sang with a yawn. Bryan expertly drove with one hand and used his other to pull Viktor's hood over his teasing grin. The boy didn't catch it, but his older brother was actually smirking at his teasing.

"_Go back to sleep, Viktor."_

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><p>Earlier the same day, Lyon, France was all abuzz. Reporters from across Europe—from around the <em>globe<em>—were congregated in a mass at the main entrance to the International Criminal Police Organization headquarters. They restlessly scavenged for any bit of information that could shake out of someone entering or leaving the premises. They irritated the guards holding them back especially. The reason for their pressuring behavior…?

On that bleak, cloudy, and cold day was the start of the definitive trial to decide the fate of the corrupt masterminds involved with the Biovolt Corporation…the ones that were caught, that is. Interpol had a handful of them in high-security custody, but there were still some that were barely managing to keep a leap ahead of them. They knew it was important to catch every last one of them, but the satisfaction of knowing that the head of Biovolt was the one facing trial in the courtroom today already made their hearts swell with justice.

Inside Interpol's headquarters, Courtroom VI was filled to the brim with people. The tension for a verdict upon the return of the judge and jury was as unbearable as the tight, hot air inside. Nikolai and his brother Andrei were standing just outside the courtroom waiting for the recess to end with their lawyer. They kept their distance from people that were allowed to attend simply for the sake of watching the trial as it happened. Their lawyer made sure to have a guard on them at all times—not that there was a need to, there were police officers everywhere—should anyone start asking questions. Andrei didn't put the possibility of a few reporters having slipped in under the radar to question his older brother and nephew Kai. The younger of the two Hiwatari siblings glanced up when he heard familiar voices and saw the rest of his party returning from their little excursion to find snacks and drinks. His wife, sister in law, and the Ivanovs joined them again at their little corner.

"_We found a vending machine downstairs heading toward some work offices."_ Nadiya smiled at her husband, handing him a water bottle and bag of chips. The doctor looked at his wife with distaste at the treat she brought him, but thanked her anyway. He was a bit of a health nut, but he was _starving_. He hadn't eaten a decent meal since breakfast. _"They told us we weren't allowed to take food from there, but a wink here and a giggle there was all it took."_ She teased, taking a sip of her own water bottle.

"_What she really means to say is that Petr gave them a glare and told them why we're here, so they didn't challenge our authority."_ The brunette Irene corrected, glancing briefly at her husband who didn't look one bit guilty for scaring those poor new guys into submission. Mr. Ivanov shrugged, confirming that he didn't care, and sipped from a crappy juice box. Like the other members of their party, he couldn't wait for today's trial to be over so they could get back to the hotel and order dinner. These things always took way too long.

"_All you found were chips and candy bars? I expected better from the world's largest police organization."_ Andrei said with genuine surprise. He glanced over to Nikolai and Yuliyanna. The light-blue haired woman hugged his brother over his shoulders, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze and a kiss on the back. It seemed to work, because some of the tension knitted in his brows faded.

The Russian party or parents quietly conversed to themselves and ate their snacks until a man emerged from behind the closed doors of the courtroom calling everyone back inside to the conclusion of today's meeting. They quickly got rid of their trash and headed back in, taking their seats in the front pews of the courtroom with their lawyer. The defense party didn't come back in until almost everyone had re-filled the room again. Four armed policemen brought in Voltaire Hiwatari and sat him beside his lawyer. They remained standing by the criminal's side and didn't remove his handcuffs. Finally, the jury and judge came back into the room; everyone stood for the judge until he sat. At last, the meeting began again. Different men and women spoke the long rehearsed and well-known statements necessary for the meeting—words that were starting to commit to the memories of the Ivanovs and Hiwatari four. The judge at last gave way for their lawyer to give a closing statement as the accusing party before the defense. Only after both parties spoke would the jury give their unanimous vote, in secrecy, to be recorded. The results nobody would know until final trial day.

Lawyer Vanya Koshkin stood from his seat to stand before the entire courtroom. He would've been intimidated by the side of the room—perfect for a theater—and the amount of people there, but he'd conquered his nerves back when he accepted to work for the Hiwataris. He cleared his throat before he began.

"Your honor, members of the jury, guests." He greeted. "You have come here today to bear witness in the trial of Voltaire Hiwatari, a criminal in our modern-day society whom had intentions of global domination with his partner Boris Balkov. The indictment we have set forth to you is this: that eight years ago as of this past November, Voltaire Hiwatari has been proven to have committed the following crimes," He began with confidence. He briefly went over the list in his head before he started reciting them.

"Harboring fugitives on an international scale. Financial crime and corruption. Organized crime with Boris Balkov: crimes that both had already begun to branch out internationally. Crimes against children and trafficking human beings: the evidence for this is more than clear with the raid pictures of Balkov Abbey and Biovolt underground operation centers. Trafficking of firearms and environmental crime. All these, if further delved into, reveal that murder, torture, biological testing and experimenting stain Voltaire Hiwatari's hands.

"To this indictment the defendant pleaded not guilty. I believe we've proven him otherwise. Our witnesses and evidence and more than enough proof that the defendant is buried in over his head with his crimes, and you must find him so. We _will_ prove as particular and as precise as can be, that Voltaire Hiwatari was the head of Biovolt Corporation and directed everything that occurred within the facilities. It appears to be a barbarous fact to take advantage of young children and adolescents as he has, but Voltaire Hiwatari is the very man our evidence presents to you: a heartless, vile being that will stop at nothing to attain what he desires. He could very well be labeled as this century's first Adolf Hitler—he came too close to starting a new dictatorship under his name and reign. Voltaire Hiwatari is a man to never be trusted and must be sentenced to a lifetime in custody if not worse. Thank you."

The room was silent, save for the sounds of people breathing and the occasional cough or sneeze. Even without hearing and seeing the evidence Vanya spoke of, it was still hard to swallow with the memory of said evidence in their minds. Voltaire…Voltaire Hiwatari was a sick and twisted man, he and Boris alike. They shouldn't even be called human. They were monsters.

After a pause, the judge turned to the defense seated on his left side, "Would the defense like to make a closing statement as well?" Voltaire's two lawyers seemed to bicker silently over themselves whether to speak or not, and just when they were about to answer the criminal himself spoke up.

"I have something to say. Why is it that Kai Hiwatari is not here to plea innocence with me?" He questioned. He opened a single crimson eye that was dark are foreboding—the color of dried blood—to glance at his family members on the other side of the courtroom. They all glared back at the man mercilessly, quiet per their lawyer's request. "After all, my dear grandson _did_ take part in Biovolt operations with me. He _did_ carry out the orders I have him like the good boy he is. He even dragged his own friends to be guinea pigs for me—."

"Kai did no such thing willingly, you were brainwashing him!" Yuliyanna barked at her father in law, her glare intensifying. Voltaire merely smirked.

"Oh, did I now? If I recall correctly Kai didn't protest my judgment when we injected Dimitri with—."

"Kai saved my son's life!" Andrei shot up next, his temper flaring just like Yuliyanna's. "You tried to take him from us just like you took Kai from my brother so you could corrupt him to do your dirty work!" By now the judge was requesting order in the courtroom and police were trying to get the family members to calm down as well as Voltaire to shut up.

"In reality, Andrei, I actually _saved_ your child's life. I was just trying to enhance his physical performance after that. It's what I wanted to do with Tala as well as the others, but unfortunately my dear Kai destroyed the only successful serums we made."

"You tried to turn our boys into lab rats and mindless murdering soldiers, asshole! Got rot in hell!" Petr raged, having to be held back by more cops when Tala's names slipped Voltaire's tongue.

"That, I fear, is now inevitable." Voltaire sighed dramatically, but added with a chuckle. "But I won't go without my grandson. Kai is just as much a criminal as I am, and I will not rest until he shares the same fate I do."

"OR-DER!" The judge bellowed, effectively silencing the entire courtroom once more. He scolded both party members for speaking out of turn, and proceeded with polishing off their trial meeting for the day. When asked if they wished to hear anything else in particular before they called it a day, the jury spoke among themselves until coming to a conclusion.

A frail-looking man with glasses and receding hairline stood, clearing his throat. He spoke Italian, so his translator stood with him and translated as he spoke.

"We of the jury believe that to make any solid and final decisions of this trial we must not only hear from Kaike Hiwatari but three outside witnesses with no relations to Biovolt or the Hiwatari family. We will give the family two weeks to search and prepare witnesses for Kaike as well as bring Kaike Hiwatari himself here to Lyon for further questioning."

"What? That's **ridiculous**!" Yuliyanna screamed at them, slamming her hands down on the table before her. "What more could you want from my son, we've shown you everything—!"

"Mrs. Hiwatari that's enough!" The Judge called her out again, and she fell silent. "The jury has made its decision. As of two weeks from today we will pick up with Voltaire Hiwatari's case to hear from Kaike Hiwatari and his three witnesses. Until then what was spoken in this court remains in this court. Tomorrow we will begin on the case of Boris Balkov. Meeting adjourned!" And just like that, with a slam of his gavel, the session had ended on an abruptly worse note than imagined. Petr and Irene Ivanov were yelling at the cops restraining them as well as the jury, displeased with them. Nadiya comforted Yuliyanna, crying tears of frustration and sadness, with a hug. Andrei questioned their two lawyers on the legality of everything that just happened in the last twenty minutes.

Voltaire stood to be escorted out of the courtroom back to his prison cell by the four police officers that brought him in. They walked by his infuriated family members and Nikolai caught the smug grin on his father's face. He was sitting still, trying to swallow what had just happened. They want to accuse his son: his _only_ son. The little boy he only now just got back from the clutches of his obsessive father, and that now he might lose again. He couldn't let that happen, he _wouldn't_.

"_I look forward to sharing my prison cell with Kai, Nikolai. Send my dear grandson my regards, won't you?"_ The oldest Hiwatari told him in the confines of their native tongue as he walked past. Nikolai finally snapped. With lightning-fast reflexes, Nikolai was out of his seat and pushing one of Voltaire's police guards out of his way. He gave himself just enough time and leeway to fist his hand and land a solid punch dead-on his nose. The cracking sound it made was repulsive, and immediately upon contact blood flowed from the senile man's nose. Andrei and their lawyer Vanya pulled Nikolai back before he could get into any more trouble.

"_Don't you __**ever**__ talk about my son that way again. You are no family of ours anymore. You're a man with no soul, and I will __**personally**__ make sure that go to the last circle of hell where you belong. Kai will not go to prison for the crimes you and Boris forced him to do."_ The man's voice was seething and it oozed venom and hatred. The satisfaction he felt for breaking his father's nose already vanished beneath how angry he felt. When Voltaire has the audacity to smirk again, he tried to lunge forward to break the rest of his face in.

"_Challenge accepted, Nikki."_

* * *

><p><strong>VelvetSoulPanda<strong>- NOW you see why Kai's babysitting while the relatives are away…what, did you honestly think that I'd give them some island getaway and ditch their kids? "Hey Vladimir, we're all taking a second honeymoon! Watch our kids for us even though they're WAY more than you can handle!" Although…now that I think more on that, a family vacation to the tropics also wouldn't have been such a bad idea for this story…I'd just have to alter half the storyline. Or, or—here's a thought—sequel! Haha, it's too soon to think about that, though…

I should mention that I'm no political/criminal/law studies major and I based the first segment of this chapter off the American judicial system for the most part. And when I say that, I mean most of my references were Law & Order SVU, Criminal Intent, etc…I honestly did try my best and did independent research of my own, but all that stuff is _way_ over my head. I'm a fashion design major: if I can't physically see or take part in demonstration, odds are I'm probably not going to get it. I'm all about creativity and less about conforming to blue-print lay-outs. Hopefully my attempt here is good enough ;-; It should also be said that I don't know for fact if Interpol Headquarters has an independent court room strictly for their cases—I couldn't find anything on that, either. I honestly doubt it, so the only reason I made it this way in the story was for more of a reader impact haha….(yay for false advertisement!)

Tune in for part two next chapter!


	8. A Family Secret (II)

**VelvetSoulPanda- **Yo…read, review, and then go check this story out by _**Hirurg**_ and do the same. I COMMAND you! It's very good :] Shameless advertising…FTW!

"_Ten Days"_ : .net/s/7940513/1/Ten_Days  
><em><strong>Hirurg<strong>_ : .net/u/1715580/Hirurg

In other good news (And more shameless advertising), _**Emziie**_ volunteered and confirmed for being a Beta reader for me. Thank you again! She's the reason I finally decided to try my hand at writing Ty/Kai, so….after reading _**Hirurg**_'s story, go check out some of hers!

_**Emziie**_ : .net/u/2477747/Emziie

**Summary:..** A spontaneous invitation to spend a week in Russia with Kai makes Tyson determined to uncover what makes his team captain tick. However what Tyson bites off is more than he might be able to chew, and more is on the line now than just dirty little secrets. [Yaoi]

**Genres:..** This story falls under the following categories- Humor/Romance

**Disclaimer:..** VelvetSoulPanda does not own Beyblade or any other commercial/marketing references that may appear throughout the story. WARNING: Yaoi fanfiction. If it's something you're against than please, don't make a big deal about it? Just go back to the story selection page and pick something else.

**Beta Reader:..**_Emziie_ (let the record stand that I was a tad impatient to wait for her response to edit this, so I own up to any incorrections there might be…just like all the other ones there have been xD)

* * *

><p><strong>Real Life Nightmares (Part II)<strong>

* * *

><p>When Vladimir parked inside the garage and killed the engine, he would have sworn all his passengers were asleep. Well, now that the butler had glanced back, he realized that was mostly true. Dimitri was out cold. It was expected of the child: at his age, over excitement over flagging down the ice cream truck in summertime had him taking a two-hour recovery nap. Tyson was starting to fall into a deeper sleep as well, that he could tell because the Japanese teen was beginning to snore. As for Kai, the oldest Hiwatari heir was in and out of limbo, refusing to let sleep get the better of him.<p>

The pepper-haired butler lightly nudged the dual-blue haired teen. Kai shuddered at his touch and looked as alert as he could, despite his glazed crimson eyes saying otherwise. _"We're back already, s—Kai."_ Vladimir told him, nearly letting the term "sir" slip his tongue. It was a habit that, in all honesty, was one of the most difficult ones he had to fall out of. Before he serviced Mr. and Mrs. Nikolai and Yuliyanna, Vladimir was Voltaire's personal butler. He'd worked for the Hiwatari family since Nikolai and Andrei were young teenagers like Kai is today. He watched them grow up as well as Kai, and he was around for everything the family lived through. While under Voltaire's orders, Vladimir had a strict rule to address to the Hiwataris with titles such as 'master,' 'sir,' or any other high formality standard. Since being released of Voltaire's hold, Vladimir willingly chose to remain working for the family. He more or less adopted them as a family of his own, and vice versa. As can be imagined, a habit he'd grown into for more than twenty years was hard to let go. As much as Kai and the rest of his family members insisted that Vladimir call them by their first names, he still let 'Sirs' and 'Ma'ams' slip on occasion.

Thankfully, Kai was too sleepy to take notice. Either that or he brushed it off. The crimson-eyed phoenix nodded and stretched, opening the car door and pulling himself out of his seat. He opened the door to Tyson's side of the car and rattled his teammate to wake up as well.

"No, Max, five more minutes…Kai will never know…" The navy-blue haired teen mumbled in his sleep, hugging a Captain America shield pillow he won at the carnival. Kai slumped his shoulders, too tired to deal with this, and started to pull Tyson out of his seat so he could walk him down to the Ski Dorm for bed. Much to the Russian teen's surprise, Tyson started coming to just as he was hooking his arm over his shoulder. "Hey Kai…are we back already? That was fast…"

Kai released the teen and stifled a yawn, handing Tyson his pillow so he could shut the car door. "I think the door to the mudroom's open, you can head on inside and leave your wet shoes in there so you can go to bed." Tyson numbly nodded and started trudging his feet in the general direction he knew the door was. Kai saw that Vladimir was getting Dimitri out of his car seat and took over the task per his own insistence. Vladimir didn't bother arguing with Kai over the matter and unlocked the mudroom door for the two teens and toddler. He informed Kai he was taking the dogs out quickly before heading to bed and walked out into the snow with the hoard of white canines.

Inside the house, Tyson followed closely behind Kai and Dimitri. There were no lights on and he could barely see, so he wasn't going to take the chance and blindly walk around a house he still hadn't memorized enough for the task of night walking. The duo walked by the kitchen and Kai requested that Tyson pick up a few medication bottles to bring downstairs for him. The dragon did so, mindlessly staring at the labels printed in Cyrillic's. For some reason, in his drowsy state of mind, the Cyrillic letters were actually making some sense to the world champion Beyblader.

He could pick out some letters individually and identify the sound they made. "Я" was a vowel which made the sound "yah" when at the beginning of a word or after the characters "ь" and "б." He also picked out the actual letter for "R" in Cyrillic, "P," along with plenty of other letters. The rules, as well as the characters which stressed or softened other letters and sounds, were still a bit of a mess in his head, and of course he didn't comprehend what he was actually able to sound out. However, it was a start. Tyson paused to think to himself, and even half asleep he felt pride. He was starting to grasp the principles of Russian after all! Who says he couldn't learn another language? As soon as he was back home, he was going to shove his new-found ability in his entire team's face, _especially_ Hilary. They'd be sorry for ever mocking his brains.

It was like this, letter by letter, than Tyson slowly deciphered the printed words on the bottles phonetically. His eyes were drawn, of course, to the larger and bold font first, and immediately a familiar set of Cyrillics caught his eye. Even before knowing an iota of Russian, Tyson knew what this cluster of letters translated to: "Hiwatari." Now all that was left was to discover the first name that preceded the surname on the label.

Дими́трий…D…ee…mee…t….r…ee…Hiwatari, Dimitri.

Dimitri? Little Dimitri had to take all these? Tyson's drowsy mind tallied this new question onto his mental list and concluded that he had…a lot to ask. (He lost count.)

Kai was slow to come down the stairs into the basement, and before the world champion could head toward his room the stoic teen asked that he get his bedroom door open for him. Tyson was about to complain, but his sudden curiosity had gotten the better of him. Since arriving in St. Petersburg, Kai had yet to let him lay eyes on his room. Perfect opportunity? He decided to call it that. What he found he couldn't help but…relate to.

Kai's room, like the rest of the house, was decorated with that touch of high-end style but hardly noticed by how quaint and inviting it felt. It was Yuliyanna's doing: she was the creative mind of the household, being an interior designer by profession and all. The walls were painted a light hue of gray-brown, like timbers of woodland trees, and tied in the offset balance of wood textures (the bed frame, desk seat, assorted picture frames) to steel textures (nightstands, light fixtures, the study desk). The crème carpet felt plush under his toes, and the room as a whole made Tyson want to sleep wherever he decided to drop down. But what really connected Tyson to the room wasn't the exquisite decorating Kai's mother had done with the place—she did a phenomenal job and struck awe in him with the _entire_ house. It was the little details.

The memories the picture frames in the room captured, moments in time that had to be precious to Kai in some form or another for the teen to bother putting up. The books Tyson occasionally found his team captain reading stacked in a bookshelf to the corner. Notes and readings on beyblading on the study desk—most were for his Dranzer, but Tyson caught glimpses of rough sketches for Dragoon, Driger, and Draciel as well. Beyblading trophies and medals shuffled between his novels. The slight mess in the phoenix's open closet doors. A small, stuffed black bear plush cast aside behind a lounge seat by the window with a view to the backyard; it was half-buried underneath Kai's school bag. Tyson recognized the stuffed animal: it was the same one from the picture of Kai with Voltaire as a child.

Kai's room was so different yet so similar to his room in so many ways. It felt like home to him.

"You can put those down on the desk," Kai nodded at the medication bottles in the Tyson's hands. The navy-haired teen snapped out of his slight reverie of comparisons and put the bottles down slowly, all but one.

"Kai, why does Dimitri take these?" The Japanese Beyblader inquired, double-checking the only thing he read and understood. "I mean, Russia's on the metric system just like the rest of the world, right? Well, everyone but North America…so these dosages are the same as they'd read back in Japan. That's a lot of…well, it's a lot of whatever this is. _What_ is it?" When Tyson looked up at his team captain, he saw that he'd stopped to stare at him in surprise while sitting Dimitri up on his bed. "What?"

"You can _read_ that?" The dual-haired Russian dubiously asked.

"Er, sort of. I can sound out most of the letters. I've been studying that dictionary you gave me on the plane. That and Dimitri seems to be under the impression that I know Russian when he says it, so I've been looking up words he tells or teaches me." Tyson explained. "Like earlier today: he told me '_privyet drug_'! That means 'hello friend,' am I right?" Kai's gaping mouth humored Tyson in the back of his mind, but when the phoenix closed himself up and focused on changing Dimitri into pajamas again, that humor subsided. "Kai, tell me what this is! It obviously—!"

Dimitri, in his sleeping state, started complaining about changing for bed. The little blue-haired toddler whined and started pouting in a manner that could lead to tears, and Kai reassuringly tried to quiet the boy and saying that he'd put him down in a moment. Dimitri kept trying to fall over to sleep, making it difficult for his older cousin to both hold him up and put clothes on him. Before Kai knew it, Tyson had come over to his side and pulled the little boy's other two shirts off over his head.

The Japanese Beyblader helped his Russian teammate change the little boy completely, and all the while Kai was aversive with eye contact. "I don't care if you choose to give me details or not. But you can't tell me he's fine—obviously that's not the case. I just want to know. I really like the little guy…it's only fair I learn about it in case he should need my help." It was just like every other occasion Tyson tried to ask something of his fellow beyblading companion. Only if the time was dire would Kai reveal a necessary secret, and even then it was only a necessary one. In all honesty, Tyson didn't even care if Kai chose to talk about his past or not, it's just…

"Hold him for me for a second," The dual-blue haired teen asked. Tyson lifted Dimitri in his arms for Kai to pull back the covers of his bed. He set up the pillows on the opposite end of the bed in a barrier to the edge and unfolded the fleece blanket at his bed's edge over the entire mattress. Then, taking a pill from each of the bottles and one little cup measurement of medicinal syrup, the phoenix went back over his little toddler cousin. "I apologize in advance if he spits this back on you." Kai warned, referring to the syrup. Tentively, he pushed the little cup to the boy's lips and Dimitri, unknowing, drank it before he realized what it was. He started coughing and gagging in protest; Kai popped the rest of the little pills in his mouth reprimanding the little Hiwatari no in their native tongue. In the end, Dimitri took all his medications, but now he clung onto Tyson like a lifeline and refused to lie down in bed.

"Heh, don't worry Dimitri, it's just for you to feel better." Tyson quietly promised the boy despite being oblivious to the problem entirely. He sat down on Kai's bed with the boy still cradled in his arms and leaned back on the cushioned headboard. With a sigh, Kai left the two as they were and went to his closet to grab his own clothes to change into. "It's one of those ghosts from your past, isn't it? The reason you won't tell me what he has?" Tyson educatedly guessed, resting his chin atop Dimitri's mess of midnight-blue hair. The little Hiwatari smelt a little salty and sweaty from all the running around he did at the carnival as well as like baby powder.

"It's not." Kai finally spoke up. The teen slipped on loose-fitting pants and tore his shirt off over his head for a short sleeved one. He carelessly—much like himself, Tyson reflected—balled up his used clothing and dumped it on the floor of his closet, shutting the wood door shut. "He has…dammit, what's it called…?" The phoenix raked his mind for the translation. "He has cystic fibrosis."

Tyson tilted his head a little in thought and confusion. Cystic fibrosis…it didn't sound familiar to him. Was it a commonly spoken-of ailment? Kai sat down on the bed opposite the dragon and little phoenix and brought his blankets up over his shoulders for warmth. He held his sleeping cousin's small hand in his own. "It's a genetic disease—a faulty gene inherited from both parents. My Grandmother on my father's side of the family passed away from it when I was about his age. I don't know if any other immediate family member of Tala's had the disease that he can remember."

"Is that the reason why he complains about you not letting him Beyblade?" Kai nodded again, and Tyson's next unspoken question was answered straight away.

"It's a disease that causes an abnormal build-up of thick mucus primarily in the lungs or digestive tract, though it's not uncommon that it happens in the hands or other areas of the body. It's caused because it attacks the pancreas first, so it disrupts the break down and absorption of food. The salt balance in the body is thrown out of whack, and mucus production skyrockets." The Bladebreaker captain explained. "In Dimitri's case CF is in his lungs."

"…So overexertion gives him trouble breathing." Tyson concluded, realizing a fear of Kai's. "You're scared of any complications that might come up if he tried beyblading." Kai fell silent for a moment, watching his little cousin sleep in Tyson's arms. "Isn't there a cure for it?" Given Kai's silent that still lingered, the dragon took that as a no.

"There are treatments, and when it's caught from infancy the chances of longevity are greater…" The crimson-eyed teen began; Tyson knew there was a 'but' coming soon. "…but no cure. I was stupid for believing in one once, and I nearly lost him for it." A frown bestowed itself on the Japanese beyblader's typical cheery and inviting face, his heart torn at the sudden sliver of truth and emotion Kai was sharing with him. He unconsciously hugged the boy closer to his chest. He had a foreboding idea of where this subject was going to go: the Abbey. "My Grandfa—Voltaire," Kai corrected himself mid-sentence, "promoted the mechanical and biological engineering and experimentation that Boris was such a huge fan of. He didn't fund it as a whole, but he did help a good portion. Before Boris and his staff even dreamed of the project that resulted in Cyber Tala, he had an elite of doctors and surgeons researching biological enhancement of the human body by biological means. I never really understood what most of it compromised of nor do I want to, but back at the time, when Dimitri was diagnosed, I only thought of it as a potential cure for him.

"So I asked Voltaire to make it work for Dimitri. I implored him to find a way to make Dimitri's CF vanish when there was no need to fret over it like I had. And because of it…because of that stupid temptation and that goddamn psychotic surgeon…" The phoenix trailed off into memory, unable to bring himself to say that which Tyson understood. Tyson's frown deepened and he nudged Kai with his foot, offering him a meek and consoling grin.

"Hey, I get it. Everyone makes mistakes. You should stop being so hard on yourself and think on the positive. Dimitri's here today, isn't he? And he doesn't blame you for a thing, so why should you?"

"Because it's my fault that he's worse for wear than he should be." Kai retorted, glaring at the floor. Then his gaze softened: guilt. "He doesn't know that I'm the reason he was taken to Moscow for that. _I_ didn't know he was taken to Moscow until after the fact." The teen was surprised when Tyson kicked him again, harder this time.

"Guilty or not, wallowing in past mistakes isn't going to make anything better. Dimitri still loves you and trusts you, and I don't think you're giving this second chance you have the justice it deserves. You love him enough, so why not trust him back? Everyone knows their limits, and if not they learn them quickly." Tyson reasoned. Kai saw a light in the teen's chocolate brown eyes he hadn't seen before and couldn't help but stare. Tyson was a little perplexed—he had no idea what he did—but hoped his message went through.

"Hn. I still don't want him to Beyblade."

…You can't get everything to click the first time around, can you?

Tyson quietly growled to himself, mindful to not wake Dimitri. "Why the hell _not_? It's _Beyblading_, the poor kid is fanatic over it because his 'might-as-well-be-brother' is a part of the world champion team _and_ former solo champion. What's wrong in him trying to follow in your footsteps?"

"Because, Tyson, I don't want him to be like me." Kai snapped back. "I'm not a role model for a kid, I'm not a role model for anybody. I've done too many wrongs and no amount of rights can make up for it."

"Oh, so now you're a sourpuss _and_ a drama queen? There is _nothing_ wrong with you, Kai. You're living proof that someone who's been tricked and corrupted for evil can change, so give it a rest already and accept the fact that the Kai that takes care of Dimitri and the Kai that coaches the Bladebreakers so well is _not_ the same Kai from the Abbey and a Grand-daddy's boy." With that note of finality, Tyson put Dimitri down to sleep on Kai bed and lightly smacked Kai's cheek twice as he exited the room. "Think about that. I'm going to bed. See you for training in the morning. _Horoshyi son_!" (1)

As soon as he was left alone with the sleeping toddler, Kai rubbed his assaulted cheek and his expression frowned into pure confusion. He ruffled his hair in frustration with his buzzing thoughts and ran his hands over his face. The paint from the blue triangles on smeared off onto his palms and he glowered at them. He needed to washes them off as well as splash some cold water on his face. _Plenty_ of cold water.

* * *

><p>Back in the Ski dorm, showered and changed out of his (and Kai's) clothes into pajamas, Tyson staked out for a half hour waiting for the other residents in the Hiwatari home to sleep. Knowing for fact that the coast was clear the navy-blue haired teen tiptoed out of the large guest room to the door of the storage room in the family room. With patience and caution alike, the dragon silently opened the storage room door and slipped inside with his cell phone, Russian dictionary, and a flashlight. Napoleon, a shadow stalker in the house, followed Tyson inside. Once the door was shut behind him, Tyson lit the flashlight and went straight for the storage boxes in the back of the room, where all the older and more personal belongings seemed to be kept. The dragon resisted the tempting urge to look through more family photos (he had no time for it, it was already one in the morning) and found the boxes where the legal-looking documents were. Pulling out a random file, the teen opened it and shone the flashlight down at the title printed on to op the page. He sounded out the word and typed out the phonetic text on his phone's keyboard, then looked it up in the dictionary. Birth certificate…case file…yup, he was in the right place.<p>

Trusty cell phone in hand, Tyson laid out a number of papers neatly on the floor. The world champion Beyblader held the flashlight in his mouth and pointed it to one sheet at a time, using both his hands to make sure the images he captured with his phone were steady and clear. The teen continued with this process for nearly an hour, trying to get as many pictures as he could. He didn't even make it through a single box but decided to call it quits. It was late, he needed sleep, and he knew for _sure_ that Kai was going to wake him up at the crack of dawn to go out and train. Just as he'd found them, he placed every single sheet back where it belonged, correct order and all, and returned to storage box to its location on the shelf. Plopping down to a sit on the floor Tyson compiled all the important pictures into a single file folder. Before getting ready to send the images to Kenny for translation (Dizzi had magnificent translation software), he addressed to all the text messages from his friends he'd neglected for the past two days.

**New Text Message (yesterday)::  
>Max Tate;<br>**_**"Yo Tyson, what's up? Has Kai and his cute little clone given you a hard time yet?"**_

**New Text Message (yesterday)::  
>Max Tate;<br>**_**"By the way, you'll never believe it, but I think that Emily might actually like the Chief! Haha, she probably meant for him to catch her naked yesterday morning xD"**_

**New Text Message (yesterday)::  
>Hilary Tachibana;<br>**_**"Way to make us wait for nearly TWO HOURS for you to not show up on chat, Tyson! If you can't show at least text saying so . Ray and Salima were almost late to the wedding waiting for you! Not to mention that my family yelled at me for spending too much time on the computer during my Grandparents wedding anniversary. When we're back home I am going to kill you!"**_

**New Text Message (yesterday)::  
>Chief Kenny;<br>**_**"Hey Tyson, just checking in to see how you're doing. You'll be excited to know that Judy's research is going smoothly and that Dragoon and all the other beyblades will be getting a new upgrade in time to test for the charity tournament the BBA's holding. Fingers crossed all goes well! By the way, don't mind Hilary. One of her cousins gave her a sake bomb while we were webcamming and she was a little out of it after that."**_

**New Text Message (yesterday)::  
>Hilary Tachibana;<br>**_**"How's Dimitri, by the way? He was so cute! Can you PLEASE convince Kai to bring him back with you? The guys want to meet him too!"**_

**New Text Message (yesterday)::  
>Ray Kon;<br>**_**"Hey Tyson, what's up? Where were you for our chat meet today? I waited out for you as long as I could, but apparently you didn't show even after Salima and I left. I'd hold it against you, but I have a hunch that maybe Kai is making you train overtime haha…"**_

**New Text Message (yesterday)::  
>Chief Kenny;<br>**_**"If Max sends ANY kind of text insinuating that I like Emily…PLEASE don't take it seriously! He and the All Starz decided that it'd be cool to try and hook me and Emily up. Just. Ignore. Him. Or any other of the All Starz that you might have their numbers."**_

**Next Text Message (yesterday)::  
>Ray Kon;<br>**_**"This wedding reception is CRAAAAAZYY! There's an open bar with no ID checks and food foreeveeeer! The Tigers are wasted! Everyone's wasted! My nana was dancing on the cake table! Lee lost his boxers and his pants are STILL ON. How is that POSSIBLE? …hey, do you have a condom I can borrow? Pleeeeeeeeease?"**_

_****_**New Text Message (yesterday)::  
>Max Tate;<br>_"Yo, should I pick truth or dare? And if someone here picks dare when it's my turn, is it inappropriate to dare them to strip-tease a video to 'sexy thing' and send it to my mom? ...I think I'm sticking with that anyway." _**

Tyson safely judged from yesterday's texts (there were more) that his teammates were perhaps a little crazier than he realized. He quickly scrolled through some of the ones from today.

**New Text Message::  
>Hilary Tachibana;<br>**_**"Hey Tyson, sorry for yelling at you yesterday, I was a little tipsy. What's up?"**_

**New Text Message::  
>Ray Kon;<br>**_**"Uuuuuugh. Hangovers suuuuuuuck. Hehe, listen, is there any way that you'd promise to keep my drunk texts a secret? And delete pictures? Unlike what you and Max like to joke around with, I DON'T have nine lives."**_

**New Text Message::  
>Max Tate;<br>**_**"Mom finished the first prototype! The All Starz and I are going to try it out today! Hope it works! In other news, Kenny and I slept over the All Starz room and played truth or dare. I went streaking and won $150 for it! Is that sick or what? Also, I saw a giant Hershey Bar in Times Square today, six pounds. Want to split it?"**_

**New Text Message::  
>Chief Kenny;<br>**_**"It's official. I fear for the sanity of every single Bladebreaker. You guys are all missing screws. You make no sense,; Kai is a drama queen like no other; Max…I have no words for Max. And Ray, did you GET pictures from Ray? What the hell was all that?"**_

**New Text Message::  
>Chief Kenny;<br>_"I forgot to mention that Hilary's a bossy bitch a lot. Don't tell her I said that."_  
><strong>

**New Text Message::  
>Ray Kon;<br>**_**"Wow Tyson, no show to cam chat again? You can't be that busy with Mr. Quiet up there, what's up?"**_

**New Text Message::  
>Hilary Tachibana;<br>**_**"Tyson what the HELL? Again? We haven't seen you in two days now and haven't spoken to you in three. Is everything alright?"**_

**New Text Message::  
>Chief Kenny;<br>**_**"Hey Tyson, just checking on you again. You haven't replied to anyone in a while and Kai never answers our texts. You holding up OK there?"**_

**New Text Message::  
>Max Tate;<br>**_**"Hey buddy, is everything ok with you? The team and I are really starting to get worried, you're never the type to leave a text unresponded. Is everything alright?"**_

Biting his lip, Tyson mentally scolded himself for forgetting to check and reply to all his messages. He sent a general message out to all his teammates that everything was fine, he was just really preoccupied with Kai and the family and that he'd pay more attention to his phone for calls and texts. After, he sent a text to Kenny with the folder containing all the pictures. Once the message went through, he sighed softly to himself and yawned. Napoleon the calico cat rubbed against the teen's side and purred, his tail languidly swaying side to side. With a tired grin Tyson picked up the cat and returned to the Ski Dorm for bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day with all the catch-up training him and Kai had to do. And if Kenny could give him answers quickly enough, perhaps the day would be even longer. He'd have plenty more information to square off with Kai.

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><p>1) <em>Horoshyi son<em>: "good dreams"

**VelvetSoulPanda**- I apologize for the next two weeks, updates will most likely come once a week. The reason for that is because I'm going to my first convention ever (Anime Boston anyone?) aaaand It's in less than 15 days. Actually, it's nearly a week from now. Shit. I'm scrambling to complete Avatar the Last Airbender cosplays for myself and my bestie that's going with me. It's crunch time! CRUNCH. TIME.

Anyhow, reviews are more than welcome and appreciated. Next time, Tyson and Kai go training…or so they think... Next update will either come before next weekend or on Easter Sunday.


	9. Snow Day

**VelvetSoulPanda- **We've got plenty of plot laid down…let's start getting some emotions to run high...

I'm still waiting on answers from my beta, so this chapter hasn't been revised…ah well :D

**Summary:..** A spontaneous invitation to spend a week in Russia with Kai makes Tyson determined to uncover what makes his team captain tick. However what Tyson bites off is more than he might be able to chew, and more is on the line now than just dirty little secrets. [Yaoi]

**Genres:..** This story falls under the following categories- Humor/Romance

**Disclaimer:..** VelvetSoulPanda does not own Beyblade or any other commercial/marketing references that may appear throughout the story. WARNING: Yaoi fanfiction. If it's something you're against than please, don't make a big deal about it? Just go back to the story selection page and pick something else.

**Beta Reader:..**Not Revised

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><p><strong>Snow Day<br>**_**[Tyson's POV]**_

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><p>I swear, every passing day here in St. Petersburg with big and little Hiwatari I feel like I've spent a month. There's just so much of this "secret life" of Kai's to drink in…Well, ok, not secret. Just…real? I don't know. All I do know is that I like it. I like it a lot, in fact. I always had a feeling that Kai was a <em>little<em> soft deep down inside. Heh, it's a strange combination of asshole and brotherly…like, caring douche bag. Haha, I don't think I'm making much sense anymore…

But you know what _really_ doesn't make sense? Every morning I seem to be woken up by noise louder than the previous day's trauma. What's up with this bull? The music blaring just outside in the family room—or rather, movie—is _Pirates of the Caribbean_. It's obviously a moment of high action: there are swords clashing, pirates yelling "swash-buckly" phrases of intimidation, explosions, and the orchestra swelling in song. But that's not what really wakes me up. The kids, yes, **kids**, do that for me. There's an abundance of shouts and laughter that comes trampling into the Ski Dorm, jumping around on the other empty beds and, consequently, on mine. The weight on top of me is what springs me alert with a sharp jolt of pain to my stomach. I yelp out in agony and roll over to my side, clutching my sore abdomen. "Oww!"

"Aleksei, no!" I hear Dimitri cry, running to my bedside, I pry an eye open to look up at the little Kai look-alike, concern painting a portrait on his face. I glance over my shoulder and see one of Tala's little sisters, Aleksei, still sitting on the foot of my bed. The little red-headed girl had her hair curled into ringlets in high pigtails on her head and her bangs (messy from jumping around) parted mostly to the right. Hopefully they're color-uncoordinated so I can tell them apart. Aleksei's wearing silver and purple with denim. "Tyson ok?" The young toddler asks me.

Seeing that he could very well cry, I lie through my teeth with a nod and forced grin. "Never better, Dimitri. She just caught me by surprise."

"Oooh," the boy nodded, and then smiled. "We're pirates!"

"Yes…I can see that."

"Aleksei is Lizzy-Beth and Dimitri is Will Turner!"

"I got that from the hats. Where did you get those?" I ask, half-smiling at the two children's get-up while trying to swallow back pain. They're wearing a few pirate prop pieces over their warm clothes. They each have a different pirate hat on, Dimitri's gold and black with a white feather and Aleksei's brown and white with a gold feather. Aleksei has a pirate vest on over her clothes and Dimitri has a pirate belt over an over-sized white button-up shirt I'm positive belongs to Kai. Did I also mention that Dimitri's wearing Kai's old arm guards? Absolutely adorable.

"Lara and I do…um…plays in school and ballet and we dress up a lot!" Aleksei tells me with a momentary language struggle, fixing the hat on her head with pride. "We keep a lot and borrow even more!" With a loud thud the other redheaded menace barges into the room. Much like her twin and cousin, Lara is using a curtain rod as a sword. How did these kids even reach those things? I subconsciously notice that there's little difference between Lara and Aleksei today. The other Ivanov twin is also wearing her hair in ringlet-curl pigtails, purple and silver clothes, and jeans. The little difference there exists is the shade of purple and the part of the bangs: Lara's go to the left.

"Haha!" The girl cackles, wielding her "sword" a little too well for my taste. "Say your prayers William Turner! You're coming with me back to the _Black Pearl_!"

"Never! Jack 'Parrow is going to pay for taking Lizzie-Beth!" Dimitri boldly yelled back at his other cousin, waving his own curtain rod in defense of Aleksei. Lara looks past her two relatives to me.

"BARBOSA! I found a new prisoner!" She yells, running back out to the family room. Dimitri and Aleksei squeal protests between laughter of excitement and run after her. I smile to myself and decide to get out of bed. Now that I'm awake and the kids _know_ that I'm awake, there's no trying to go back to sleep. I lift myself to sit and grit my teeth at the throbbing in my stomach. Damn…that little girl is _much_ heavier than she looks.

Toughing up against the pain, I trudge out of the Ski Dorm into the Ski Bathroom and go through my usual morning routine: physiological needs that involve the toilet, hair brushing, teeth brushing, and stretching. Totally alert and ready to face the day, I leave the bathroom to go find the obvious visitors that are in the house.

As soon as I set foot outside the bathroom, I come face to face with little Bryan look-alike Viktor (dressed in character like the others) and a smirk on his face just as evil as the one Bryan wears. There's something he's holding over his head—and Lena behind him with a pillow from the couch—but before I can even get a glimpse at it and react I'm knocked out cold.

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><p>"Tyson? Tyson? Tyson, can you hear me?"<p>

Oooww…

"Kai-bear, Tyson not moving. Tyson DEAD!" Dimitri yells. My head is ringing. I hear snickers and smart remarks made in Russian by a voice I recognize, followed by what sounds like a high-five. From Kai's snappy response, I'm going to assume it _was_ a high-five.

"Tyson, don't die!" Dimitri says again, this time shaking me. I catch Kai pulling him off me as I open my eyes, blinded immediately after by the obnoxious amount of sunlight that Kai's house has. Immediately the toddler's face lights up at my reaction; Kai nearly drops him when he sees I'm up. "Tyson is alive! Yay!"

"Tyson!" Kai gasps, leaning over me and staring intently at me. He presses the palm of his hand against my cheek then holds his other hand up. "Are you alright? How many fingers am I holding up?" I try sitting up but the phoenix pushes me back down. I glance around and notice that I'm on the couch in the family room. I guess my relocation must've happened when I was unconscious. "Answer the number question."

"Uh, two," I say, still a little dazed. "What happened?" Kai's worried gaze lessened considerably and was replaced with a glower he aimed across the room and to Dimitri as well. I follow his crimson eyes and find none other than the Demolition Boys. Spencer, Ian, Bryan, and Viktor were playing _Super Smash Bros Melee_; Tala was sitting on a large beanbag chair fixing one of Aleksei's pigtails. Lara and Dimitri curiously watched me regain full consciousness. Guilt was written all over the cousins' faces.

"You were going to be the prisoner but Viktor hit you too hard in the head with the broom." Lara explained, poking her index fingers together.

"Viktor is good Ba-bosa."Dimitri tells me, poking me where I was hit. I wince in pain and Kai produces an ice pack for me to hold to my head. "Will Tyson be all better soon? I want to play pirates with you."

"No, no more pirates." The dual-blue haired Russian shakes his head in disapproval. He crosses his arms and sends another pointed glare at all the kids, telling them something curt in Russian. Tala replies to his in a detached tone of slight humor and Kai snaps at him as well. With a reluctant sigh the wolf growled something and also glared at his sisters with an unforgiving tone. Suddenly all three were piling on me with hugs of apology.

"_Prastee meenya pozhalosta._" The twins apologize to me. Dimitri repeats the apology after them and places a kiss on my forehead. I flush a little at the kid's kindness, briefly remembering Kai's lesson he gave him just a few days ago. I slowly sit up and lean my head back on the couch. Kai is still glaring at Bryan and Viktor.

Spencer, whom spared a glance from their intense match to us on the couch, caught the Hiwatari's ticked expression and smirked. "Why are your panties still in a knot, Kai? Tyson's alive, take a chill pill."

"That's because _someone_ still hasn't owned up to what they did." Kai snarled in displeasure. Bryan was oblivious to my captain's anger, or at least ignored it very well; Viktor kept looking over his shoulder with guilt stitched in his brow. Kai's eyes darkened and I bit the inside of my cheek. Kai's starting to go into this angry zone that I as a Bladebreaker member know better than to tempt. However, we're dealing with the Demolition Boys here. I've always gotten the impression that these guys are a war zone among themselves.

Kai then does what I consider to be the unthinkable: he takes a throw pillow and whips it at the back of Bryan's head. Link, Bryan's character, falls out of the playing ring from a slip of his hands thanks to Kai and loses the match. A tension thick and hot as lava materializes in a split second.

"Here we go…"Tala sighs, whipping out his cell phone and scrolling through texts. How can he be so _calm_ about this?

"Uhm, K-Kai, really it's—." I chuckle nervously as a start, but it's too late.

"Whip another pillow at me, Hiwatari. I dare you."

"Why don't you make your brother apologize and take into consideration the gravity of his wrong-doing?"

"For what, a near-perfect execution of a fatal blow to the head?"

"Pre_cise_ly." Kai emphasizes, raising his eyebrow and daring Bryan to challenge him. Bryan rolled his eyes and smacked his ten-year-old brother in the back of the head harshly. Like himself, the younger Kuznetsov was out of the game thanks to the sudden action. Kai rolled his own eyes at Bryan's fucked up big-brother skills.

"Next time you pull that stunt try it on a hobo or something first. And you were off four centimeters: less force, more precision." Please tell me I am not hearing this right now. Is Bryan scolding Viktor or correcting him? "Make Sourpuss over there happy and apologize for the over-the-top combat skills you've learned from me. I don't feel like dealing with two cranky people all day." Bryan…teaches his little brother his fighting skills? I feel bad for the next generation of kids already. Let's hope Tala's little sisters don't pick up on his habits, otherwise they're all screwed.

"Sorry, Tyson. Sorry, Kai." The little lavender-haired boy apologizes. I nod meekly and give a thumbs-up. Kai's posture relaxes.

"Well, then. Now that _that's_ been dealt with," Tala unceremoniously huffs. "I want food before we head up the mountain." Mountain? What mountain? I shoot Kai a curious glance and he tosses it over to Tala.

"Where?" I blink.

"Up the mountain, for sledding and enjoying the last good snowfall this year." Spencer explains, his playing character getting knocked out of the ring. The short, purple haired viper was the winner of the round. "Why else do you think we would've risked coming all this way with bad road conditions?"

"Forget it, we're not going with you guys." The dual-blue haired Russian says, picking up his orange, white, and black cat as it walked past us to pet him. "Tyson and I have a tournament to train for and you guys have already messed up the morning training regiment I had in mind."

"Blech, 'training, training, training;' that's all you ever talk about with those guys." Ian mocks, a victory smirk on his face when he turns around to face us. "Who cares? It's just a stupid hokey tournament. If I were you I'd quit now before the second world tournament comes around. That way people will be too busy donating to charity and placing bets on their favorite teams to try and accuse you of chickening out of defending your title." I couldn't help but feel a little irritated by the guy's words. Bygones already settled for bygones or not, this is still the team that made Kai quit the Bladebreakers a year ago and drew him back to a dark vixen of power from his past. The little ground that we'd gained with him since Mr. Dickenson made us a team was completely lost after we defeated the Demolition Boys. We had to go all the way back to square one, only the difference this time around is that we knew we at least have some of Kai's trust and, better yet, respect as equal teammates. He's still bossy and thinks of himself better than us, but that's just Kai for you. My qualms with Ian opening his big mouth is that his big mouth—like the rest of the Demolition Boys', I'm starting to realize—has a greater impact and weight on Kai than I'd thought.

I narrow my eyes at him in a glower, "And why should Kai do that? I don't suppose you just up and abandoned your Beyblade like it's the easiest thing in the world to let go of." I challenge the short teen. Ian in intrigued, and his expression and slight tilt of the head are unnerving but I hold my ground. When this guy decides to stare you down, it's not the same feeling as with, for instance, Tala or Bryan or the Dark Bladers or any other foe I've faced. They stare you down, but they don't make you feel like prey. Ian…Ian's stare is exactly like a King Cobra's or a Black Mamba. He is the predator and you are the prey: _helpless_ prey. Then his eyes release their hold on me, and his mood swings to nonchalant humor.

"Well, isn't it obvious? I have. We all have."

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><p>"…Thirty-two bottles of beer on the wall, thirty-two bottles of beer! Take one down and pass it around, thirty-one bottles of beer on the wall! Thirty-one bottles of beer on the wall, thirty-one bottles of beer—!"<p>

"Ian! Shut! Up! We're here and out of the car already!"

"It's catchy!"

"…Turdy-one bottles of beer on wall, turdy-one bottles of beer!"

"Great, now you've got the kids singing it."

So, in case you haven't realized, the Demolition Boys are quite good at the art of persuasion…If the art of persuasion includes complete disregard of protests and locking Kai up in the car with the child-lock safety feature until they got everyone dressed in their snow gear and gathered the rest of the things we'd need. They're very good at that. Let the record stand that I did snatch the keys off Spencer while he was distracted and tried to spring my team captain free, but that only resulted in me getting locked in the car with him. At least he knows I tried and didn't go along with his friends. However, since Kai was so…"uncooperative"…with the guys, he didn't get to change out of his pajamas into snow clothes before we left. So on the ride up— with Spencer behind the wheel; Ian shotgun; Tala, Viktor, and Bryan in the middle seats with Lara, Dimitri, and Aleksei on their laps in the same order; and myself on Kai's lap in what little space the sledding gear left in the backseats—I ended up acting as Kai's blanket. Lara decided to make reference to how Kai and I looked like her parents when they hugged each other for warmth, and the other two toddlers made disgusted faces about "like-liking" and cooties. Awkward? Indeed it was.

But that didn't bother or preoccupy my mind much. (Well, it did a little, because…for some reason denying it felt kind of wrong? I _do_ care about Kai as a teammate and friend, but they wouldn't understand that and explaining it would be even more difficult.) What did bother me was my new-found piece of information. The Demolition Boys have quit beyblading. Just straight up quit. They haven't touched their beyblades since the Abbey was shut down, haven't looked at them (probably) since they were used by the police for evidence, and haven't been anywhere near a Bey-stadium. What's more surprising is that they have no plans to try to prove themselves just as fierce Beybladers as they formally were _without_ the Abbey's help nor do they have any intentions of trying to reclaim their title from my team. It just…it just doesn't sit right with me. They shouldn't drop beyblading as a whole because of their history. Regardless of all facts, these guys have _talent_. And they're not terrible people. Psychotic, scarred, and mentally twisted perhaps, but never intentionally bad people.

Anyhow, we're here, a half hour drive up the road of Kai's house even further into the wilderness to a sloping place of pristine, untouched snow ideal for sledding. Kai is only now changing in the car, so I was preoccupied with his look-alike.

"Tyson, Tyson! Push!" The little phoenix says, sliding over a bright yellow sled and hopping into it in excitement. He jerked his body back and forth trying to get the contraption to go by himself. I look back and see that the other guys are still unloading the large supply of sleds and snow tubes they brought, using a bike pump to pump air into the ones that needed air.

"Shouldn't we wait for everyone else first?" I ask him. He shakes his head no.

"Nyet, push now!" I glance around to try and find a way to distract him, but I find one better. I run over to where little twin demons Aleksei and Lara are pulling a larger sled, fit for three, and drag it over to the starting point Dimitri's determined. The redheads follow me and pile into the front. Dimitri squeals in delight at my new idea and abandons his tiny sled to sit third.

"You guys ready?"

"DA!" The three children chorus. I grin to myself and start pushing the sled downhill with as much speed as I can. When I feel that they're starting to take off without me, I jump into the back of the sled with them and join them in screaming all the way down the hollow of the mountain where we stop. I am praised for my genius by the kids and begged to go for another run down the hill. I feel like a boss. We sled down the mountain two more times until the sledding donuts are ready and race down the mountain next in teams: Dimitri and I vs. Lara vs. Viktor vs. Spencer and Aleksei. Obviously the last team won, we came in second, and the duo that knocked me unconscious this morning came last. (Let it be known that when Lara is pissed she is like Tala: _don't_ be within kicking range of her.) We had races this way for a while until Dimitri was tired of me. I was then rudely switched for his favorite person in the world and forced to sit on the sidelines with Tala.

The awkward from before has returned.

"So…Tala…" I start, putting up a suave-cool demeanor in hopes that it'll benefit me in some way. If you guessed it didn't, well screw you. You jinxed it. The wolf has a perfectly formed snowball in his hands that he's smoothing down to flawlessness while he ignores me. I hold back a huff of annoyance and inch closer beside him, trying again. "So…Tala…" Again, nothing. I move even closer. I sense some irritation starting to radiate from him. Finally, a reaction! "So…Ta—."

"What." He answers, emotionless. He splits the snowball in half and starts making two snowballs in each of his hands. Damn. I didn't think I'd get this far.

"Great weather we're having, huh?"

"…" A disbelieving stare.

"Well, I don't see you trying to start a conversation, and snow is fun to play in. My generic question is valid." I retort with a smirk. He rolls his icy blue eyes and returns his focus to the snowballs. What a moody little…bitch!

"Yeah, snow, _fantastic_."

"So what have you been up to since last year? Traveled anywhere cool? Oh, no, wait; they put you back in school, didn't they? Man that must suck. I hate school. Learning is so _boring_, it's only cool when you get to go places and see what you're learning in person, y'know what I mean? I don't get why they'd put you back in school when you already technically passed all the required material levels for high school. Why didn't you—?"

"Stop." Tala cuts me off suddenly, crushing one of the snowballs in his hands. "This is stupid. I am not going to partake in a forced conversation that is your poor attempt of getting me to like you." The pale teen gives me a cold stare paired with disinterested eyebrows. "Go do yourself a favor and make a snowman or something." Excuse me? What the…how…who do you think you are to have the _audacity_ to say that?

I give Tala my best glare, once I usually give Kai when we're butting heads. "**Woow**, you guys are all the same, aren't you?" I growl at him. "When will you people get it through your thick skulls that I'm not kissing ass here?"

While Tala is thoroughly impressed with my courage, he's not pleased with my loud cussing. "Watch your mouth, brat, there's kids remember?"

"I _know_ there's fucking kids, Tala, but they're halfway down a hill screaming; they can't hear me." I snap back, slamming my hand down on the fallen tree trunk we're sitting on, packing the layer of snow beneath my fingers. "Listen, I know you don't like me. Not you, not Bryan, not Ian or Spencer. You guys have trust issues among a dozen others. But seriously, I'm just trying to be your friend here. And I don't know if you know this, but if you ever plan on getting over your trust issues you need to start giving it to people that you deem deserving and step out of your cowardice bubble." I seethe, feeling more and more adrenaline with every word I say. I then point over to Kai, being tackled to the ground by all the kids and laughed at by Spencer who's making no effort to help him. "And before I forget, there's also Kai to consider. No matter how much you hate me, I'm still going to treat you well because you two are friends. So if you're not going to allow me to try and be friends with you, at _least_ show me the same respect I show you."

I didn't realize how angry I'd gotten, and when I was finished I blinked at myself in surprise, catching my breath. Tala did a pretty great impression of a deer caught in headlights, and then gradually one eyebrow sank as the other one rose. His shock melted away after that, and he let out a short, breathless chuckle, making some comment in Russian that was too fast for me to try to catch on. He dropped the perfect snowball he made in my lap and stood up to walk away. Yeah, real mature Tala! Real mature!

"Then next time, pick a better topic than snow. Snow is boring; I live in snow." I'm baffled at what he's talking about until I realize that he's answering my "stupid question" from before. "Technically yes, my academic credentials are high-honor levels so I'm technically not required to go to high school. We go to school for the same reason Kai goes to Japan. As for respect…" His icy-blue eyes glance down at me sideways, a small smirk ghosting by his lips. He shrugs. "I guess you've earned some." I smile brightly, proud of myself. I think I just bonded with Tala in a weird…bitching sort of way. I guess the only way to bond with a bitchy person is being a bitch?

Whatever, I'm good with it!

"Aleksandrina! Larissa!" Tala barks with whiplash authority, making me jump out of my skin. He gives quick reprimanding orders in Russian and the kids roll off of Kai with immediate haste. He grinned, content with his commanding skills. From up the hill where the car is parked, Bryan and Ian call us all to come use…what did he just call that thing?

Whatever it is, it is a HUMAN SIZE hamster ball. HUMAN SIZE.

I race up the hill just as excitedly as the kids, bouncing on the balls of my feet as I inspect the thing. It looks so cool! "What is that?" I ask, skipping over to the opening on the side of the ball and sticking my head inside.

"That would be a Zorba ball. Because man decided to make a toy that makes you feel like a rodent." Bryan explains, patting his enormous toy with pride.

"Can I go?" I ask again, beaming a smile.

"No." Cue my smile shattering.

"What? Why _not_?"

"Because…you haven't gone through initiation yet." I tilt my head in silent question and Ian shoots his tall friend a glance, getting the same evil smirk that Bryan wore. Oh joy…this can't be good.

"Initiation?" I ask, just as Kai, Tala, and Spencer finally make it back up the hill with the sleds the kids and I left behind. They share confused glances as they judge the situation they've just walked into. Ian nodded along with Bryan.

"Yeah…initiation. You can't roll in the Zorba ball unless you're a Demolition Boy."

"But I thought you said the Demolition Boys were—." I start; Bryan brushes me off with impatience.

"Yeh, yeh, yeh, I know what we said. The rule still stands. Not a Demolition Boy or not a family member of mine, you can't ride in the Zorba ball unless you pass the test." He waves at me, pushing Ian away from the opening to the Zorba ball as he tried to jump inside. "If you want to go for a spin," I mentally add "literally" as a joke with myself, "you have to be up for it."

I nod with determination, "Bring it on, Bryan. I never back down from a challenge!" Behind me, Kai scoffs at our immaturity. "What, is the Zorba ball to childish for you to play with, Mr. Sourpuss?" Kai glares at me briefly and I smirk in challenge. He says nothing.

"Yeeah, Kai. Is the Zorba ball too childish for you?" Bryan sneers, his gaze zeroing in on my team captain. The crimson-eyed phoenix sends the falcon a wary glance before Spencer tackles him from behind and sweeps him up from the ground and carries him over the shoulder. This is exactly how they locked Kai up in the car earlier…this can only get worse.

"Spencer, put me down!" Kai growls, verbally protesting but not physically doing anything. I realized that unlike what I used to believe just last week, Kai isn't the type of person to turn to physical violence to get what he wants or fight back. At least not initially. He has much more patience than I thought. Anyhow, since Kai doesn't do anything, Spencer tosses him into the Zorba ball like a rag doll and makes sure he doesn't escape. The phoenix just sits cross-legged inside and crosses his arms. He rides out his frustration with the Demolition Boys the same way he does with the Bladebreakers. Interesting.

"Watch and learn, brat." Ian points to the—ready for this?—caged bird. Ha! I crack myself up! "Like Kaike over there, if you want to become a Demolition Boy you have to repeat what I say. Ready, Kai?"

"Nyet."

"I, Kai, am a simpleton whose intellect and talent do not even touch the soles of the Demolition Boys' feet. I am humbled to be in their presence and shall grovel at their feet at any opportune moment in high hopes that one day they shall teach me their wondrous ways of being super-humans and that perhaps one day, should they ever choose to pick up a Beyblade again, I get my ass—Oww!" That, by the way, was a snowball to the face from Tala, courtesy of Ian's swearing around the kids. "—get my _butt_ kicked by them. Please take me in as a Demolition Boy."

Kai makes the most incredulous, disbelieving face I've ever seen him make—the most out-there expression he's ever done—and mouths a "fuck you" at the viper. Ian mouths it back. "I'm not repeating that. It's utterly moronic and completely false. I've schooled you at beyblading countless times in the past, Ian."

"Fine, have it your way then." Bryan retorts, that cynical smirk on his face, and he pushes Kai with full force down the hill. The dual-blue haired teen screams as he rolls down the mountain with no means of stopping.

"What the hell was that? He can't stop; He can get hurt!" I yell at the lavender-haired menace. He cackles in amusement.

"I know." He says in the closest thing to perky I think Bryan could ever come to. That, in case you're curious, is the evil grin with a slight vocal inflection. Not that much of a change, just really creepy. "That's what happens if you don't pass initiation."

"He can get **hurt**!"

"He's _fine_. There's a bunch of trees, he's bound to crash into a couple." Ian scoffs knowingly with a chuckle of his own.

"Do you know what the meaning of hurt is?"

"Would you like a physical demonstration or the definition according to Merriam Webster?" Bryan asks me.

"Gah, you guys are sick!" I growl out in frustration, running down the hill after Kai. Bryan and Ian had their laugh and Spencer turned his attention to the kids. Tala just stood by and watched with slight intrigue and humor, making no manifestation to help. As the falcon so wonderfully and obviously predicted, the giant ball did crash into a couple of trees and bounce off them much like a pinball before at long last coming to a stop. I raced in the clear path the ball made in the snow to the ball, searching for the opening so I can get him out. I heard him cursing and groaning in pain inside. "Kai! Are you ok?"

"What does it fucking look like, Tyson?" The teen trapped in the ball snaps back at me, moaning again. "Fuck, I'm gonna be sick…"

"Hang on, Kai; I'll get you out of there!" I promise. I stop the opening pointed skyward and jumped up, pulling it down with all the strength I could muster. The ball tumbles forth toward me and I stumble and fall back on my ass. Before I can stand again Kai falls out of the ball and on top of me. I was ready to spring to life and ask if he was ok. I was ready to check him no matter how much he protested. I was ready to help him back up the hill and punch Bryan in the gut. Yeah, that's right: I was ready to go give him a brutal two cents.

Yet I didn't. The fuming anger vanished. The concern subsided. The dizzy crimson-eyed teen on top of me became the only thing I could focus on. The distant laughter became mute against the silence of my breath and pounding heart. I froze stiff.

Our lips met, and I didn't know what to do.

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><p>1) <em>Prastee meenya pozhalosta<em>: I'm sorry, literally "forgive me please."

**VelvetSoulPanda**- There you have it! Now we've sparked a fire! Yeah, I set FIRE to the RAIN! (…I don't know how that's relevant; I was caught up in the moment ._.) Review please and thank you! Next update…next Monday?


	10. Pretend it Never Happened

**VelvetSoulPanda- **Sewing commissions + sewing final projects + the rest of my schoolwork + work resulted in a long-than-expected delay in an update. I'm terribly sorry, everyone; I didn't forget you!

In unrelated news, fucking HELL I'm exhausted from sewing Dx I'm so glad my semester ends this week :D

In even more unrelated news, it's was birthday on the seventh…..I didn't get cake ;-;

**Summary:..** A spontaneous invitation to spend a week in Russia with Kai makes Tyson determined to uncover what makes his team captain tick. However what Tyson bites off is more than he might be able to chew, and more is on the line now than just dirty little secrets. [Yaoi]

**Genres:..** This story falls under the following categories- Humor/Romance

**Disclaimer:..** VelvetSoulPanda does not own Beyblade or any other commercial/marketing references that may appear throughout the story. WARNING: Yaoi fanfiction. If it's something you're against than please, don't make a big deal about it? Just go back to the story selection page and pick something else.

**Beta Reader:..**Not proof-read by a beta-reader.

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><p><strong>Three Skeletons in a Closet<strong>

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><p>About an hour and a half after Tyson was dragged to go sledding with the Demolitions boys with a very unwilling Kai, another snowfall began that was just as heavy as the one from the previous night. While this didn't shock Tyson (like most misinformed people or flat-out silly assumptions, he believed that it always snowed in Russia) it did come as a surprise to the natives. There had been no weather reports they'd seen of a second snowfall. The change in weather was so drastically bipolar that not ten minutes went by before they concluded that they should pack it in and head back home. As if to read their minds, Vladimir called them as well and ordered that they return home before the road became too treacherous to navigate. So home they went: snow toys and gear in the trunk, the group of teens and their siblings piled into the car in the same seating arrangement they'd come up the mountain…to both Tyson and Kai's disdain. Both Bladebreakers had been clearly avoiding each other since Kai's Zorba ball mis-adventure. No amount of distractions seemed to help either. Tyson tried to immerse himself in conversation with one of the children and Kai tried even harder to become a part of the seat. Unfortunately, for Kai, he wasn't about to develop any chameleon-like genetics spontaneously to disappear and Tyson was lost in translation once more.<p>

Oh, and the twins? Lara pointed out how both teens were blushing, Tyson much more than Kai. This, of course, because Kai was not only hugging Tyson to keep him from slipping off his lap, but he was also leaning his head on the dragon's back to fight off his swirling head. She questioned if they like-liked each other and accused them of behaving much like her parents did before they kissed and shared cooties. While Viktor argued that cooties aren't real (he'd grown past that phase), Dimitri and Aleksei still sounded their disgust with "yuckies" and faces. Tala wasn't really sure or aware of the two blue-haired teen's peculiar behavior, but he explained to the children that Kai was feeling sick and Tyson wasn't used to the Russian cold. That was where Tyson lost the wolf on a rant about different climates of the world.

When they finally returned home, the guys broke up to get different tasks accomplished. Kai immediately ran to his room for a shower and change of clothes (and probably throw up again—Tyson discovered that unlike what he initially though, Kai has a weak stomach).Tala wordlessly volunteered to aid Vladimir in the kitchen with their late lunch/early dinner. Bryan wanted to watch TV and so did the kids, so they argued over what to watch. Since the snow had gotten the children into a yuletide mood, Bryan settled for that much but chose what they'd see: _Diehard_. His argument was that it took place on Christmas Eve. Ian and Spencer volunteered to take out the dogs before it'd be impossible for them to go to the bathroom. Since he needed fresh air to think and some distance from Kai, Tyson volunteered right along with them and was the first one out the door with the mother dog.

Tyson was…what the appropriate word for it…? Confused? No, confused is a shitty and generic term. Tyson was…perplexed. There we go, a perfect same-difference. Tyson was perplexed. Kissing Kai had been on his mind since it happened earlier that morning. He ran over the scene over and over again in his mind. He ruled out that it wasn't his fault. He was being a good friend and helping his team captain out after his so-called close childhood friends cruelly pushed him down a mountain in a blow-up hamster ball. Honestly, who in their right mind would call people like that friends? The Japanese teen knew that it was all but necessary for friends to pull pranks and jokes on each other—it's what friends _do_. However, there exists a fine line—an unspoken limit—that all the jokes stop when the fine line of safety is crossed. It made Tyson wonder how on earth the Demolition Boys pass for sane teenagers.

…Knowing them, they were probably smart enough to cheat on psych tests that determine an individual's sanity. Just pondering on that mere thought made his skin crawl with fear…he was getting off track.

All in all, he ruled out for certain that kissing Kai was nothing more than an accident: an accident where he had no idea how to react when it happened. Kai was dizzy out of his mind—so dizzy that it literally took him a minute to realize that not only had he fallen on the world champion Beyblader, but that he was _lip-locked_ with him as well. Tyson, on the other hand, froze up completely. He was experiencing that shock where your skin feels numb and cold as snow, yet on the inside he was bubbling like molten lava. His mind was racing with so many incoherent thoughts simultaneously that it was the equivalent of having a blank mind. Would Kai get angry, even though he had no right to? Would he smack the dragon? Punch him? Bury him so far in the snow that he'd be discovered by future civilizations a thousand years later? Make him swear so horrible oath to never speak of that moment again? Should he move: push him off like the plague? Or should he try to play it off as calmly and coolly as possible—_if_ he found it in himself—and find his voice, asking the phoenix to "please" get off him?

He didn't know. He just didn't know. All he did was stare wide-eyed at the teen with blue triangles painted on his cheeks until his crimson eyes finally regained focus and realized what happened. Tyson was willing to bet all his savings that his bright red flush of embarrassment and surprise didn't help the situation, nor did the loud, erratic beating of his heart. To the younger teen, it sounded like his heart was hooked up to a set of sub-woofers or something.

"Ty-son! Kai-bear!" Dimitri and the other children were calling the duo from the top of the hill, eager to play with the Zorba ball. The two barely heard them.

Kai blushed a blooming rose under his face paint, his eyes comically widened unlike how Tyson had ever seen them, as he stared back at the navy-blue haired teen. What felt like another eternity went by as Kai's brain soaked in exactly what was happened before he rolled off Tyson to lie in the snow beside him.

"Hurry up, Kai-bear! Dimitri next!" The little boy in the distance shouted again.

Above everything, it wasn't his own lack of reaction that bothered Tyson. It wasn't Kai's lack of reaction either. It was…it was this strange feeling that he couldn't describe. There was something there between he and Kai that he didn't realize was there before…A tension of sorts. And he felt that whatever that feeling was, he should've acted more upon it.

If only he could figure out what it _is_! It made him as confused as Kai was dizzy.

"Yo, earth to foreign brat! Why don't you pay more attention to where you're going? If you get lost I sure as hell ain't gonna go looking for ya. Not in this snowfall." Ian called back to the Japanese teen. Tyson snapped out of his reverie and shook snowflakes out of his face, shuddering from the cold. He glanced down quickly at Tyandra who was waiting for his command to keep walking and frowned. The dog didn't seem to be one bit affected by the weather. Coaxing the animal to jog the duo caught up to Spencer and Ian, whom were talking to each other.

"Ha, you're one to talk. If you had to walk home right now you'd get lost." The tall teen with dirty blonde hair chuckled. Unlike Ian, he was able to keep his trio of puppies controlled. "Even with a map, a GPS, and road signs specifically made to direct you to your house you'd get lost. You suck at taking and giving directions. Following them too."

"Fuck you man, you don't have to keep rubbing it in my face." The viper spit back venomously. While glaring at Spencer he looked briefly back to Tyson as if to ask the world champion a question. Instead, he decides not to, and just as he did at the carnival he rudely transitioned to speaking in Russian with his best friend about Kai's visitor. Tyson glared at the two, but mostly at Ian. Oh, if they only knew how Tyson was slowly progressing in his Russian.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's rude to talk about people right in front of them, regardless of what language you're using?" The navy-haired teen inquired. Both Spencer and Ian adopted the same expression of surprise Kai did when they realized that Tyson could understand them."

"You know what we're saying?" Spencer blinked.

"_What's your name?"_ Ian tested.

"_My name is Tyson._ And da, I understand some," Tyson mockingly replied. "You mind filling me in on your little gossip there? I have a right to know since it's about me." A proud and boastful smirk painted Tyson's lips when he saw that Spencer and Ian were still recovering from shock. Ian was still speechless, but Spencer continued.

"Well, what do you know…I guess there _is_ a reason why Kai still invests his time in your silly little team after all. You been learning for a while now or only these last four days?" When Tyson replies with the latter answer, Spencer nods, impressed. "You learn pretty fast, kid. Alright, then, since we can't talk about with and exclude from the conversation, I guess you can answer our questions. Tell us, Tyson: was that kiss on purpose?" Tyson choked on a snowflake and his face heated up to a bright red—just when he'd gotten the kiss out of his thought Spencer brought it up again. Spencer smirked widely upon seeing Tyson stutter. "I knew it. _That's_ why Kai brought you here."

"Kai's _dating_ this guy? And here I thought the guy couldn't find more ways to surprise me." Ian finally speaks again, giving Tyson a scrutinizing look-over. "So what, is this week like some sort of honeymoon for you two?"

"Wha—what're you?" Tyson stuttered again, but now the duo ganged up on him and didn't let him reply.

"When did you hook up, pre or post first Moscow world-tournament finals?"

"Isn't it obvious? After, duh, why _else_ would Kai go back?"

"Oh _yeah_, that makes sense. So did you come on to Kai or did Kai come on to you? How was it? It better not have been anything corny, otherwise I'll knee you both in the balls for it."

"Have you two fucked yet?"

"NO!" Tyson finally interjected, startling the dogs as well as the teens. His cheeks were as red as his trademark hat and favorite jacket. "Kai and I are _NOT_ dating! We never were and we never will. There is _nothing_ going on between us. We're just **friends**."

Ian snorted a doubtful smirk, fixing his hat on his head. "Pfft, you mean to tell us that the snog-session you two had after Kai rode in the Zorba ball was completely accidental and innocent?"

"Yes!" Tyson sighed, hoping that they got the message and would drop the topic. "I was helping Kai out of the Zorba ball. He was so dizzy that he tripped and fell on me and we kissed. Accidentally. _Completely_ unwanted and unintentional. And it was _not_ a snog-session!"

"I don't buy it." Spencer flat-out remarked with a shake of his head. Tyson sighed in exasperation and did a face palm.

"Are _all_ of the Demolition Boys skeptics?"

Again, Spencer nodded. "More or less; we picked it up in the Abbey. No one could be trusted there." He shrugs, crossing the street without so much as looking both ways. Ian and Tyson followed with their own dogs.

The short, violet-haired teen continued to prod Tyson, elbowing him in the ribs for attention. "Listen Tyson, you can deny it all you want. We don't care if you choose to tell us or not. Hell, we don't care if you and Kai like guys, like each other, or whatever. We're not prejudiced to that sort of thing. I mean, _we're_ not queer or gay or whatever you like to call it. We know people that are, though. I mean, Tala and Bryan are toge—."

"Ian!" Spencer snaps at him before he can finish his thought. Tyson blinked at the exchange between the two, confused, until it hit him like a ton of bricks. He gasped aloud and reacted a little more over the top than necessary.

"Tala and Bryan are _dating each other_? They're…they're…capable of romantic feelings?"

Spencer snagged Tyson by his scarf and collar and pulled him up off the ground so he was face to face with the dirty blonde at his height. The teen's turquoise-teal eyes sported a death threat. "That stays secret between the three of us, understand? If you **ever** breathe a _word_ of their relationship to _**anyone**_, I guarantee you that Bryan and Tala will find out and kill us. Before that happens, I'll kill _you_. Capische?" Tyson stiffly nodded and swallowed hard before being placed back on the ground. After taking a safe step back from Spencer, the whale-Bitbeast wielder ruthlessly punched his best friend in the shoulder. Ian yelped in pain. "I'll kill you too, pipsqueak; pay attention to what you say, retard!"

Half a walk of awkward silence followed the trio, and it wasn't until Kai's house began to appear on the uphill horizon that Tyson found the courage to ask his new questions formed by his curiosity. "Are you being serious when you said that Tala and Bryan are dating?" Both teens wordlessly nodded, neither looking back to the Japanese teen or to each other. "Oh…for how long?" Now Ian shot a glare back at Tyson and glanced up to Spencer. Spencer merely rolled his eyes and let out a sigh.

"You already let their relationship slip, just answer his question."

Still unhappy with Tyson's prodding, Ian replies, "Probably for longer than we know, but officially they've been together for almost a year now." Tyson nods again slowly, processing this information, and Ian becomes irritated with this. "What, you wanted a biography or something?"

"No…It's just, well, they're not exactly…" Tyson fished for the right words to phrase his thoughts. "Lovey-dovey with each other.

Ian raised an eyebrow at the chocolate-brown eyed teen, questioning Tyson's people-reading skills in his mind. "Tyson, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're not "lovey-dovey" people. I have dated five chicks since going back to normal high school and wasn't lovey-dovey with any of them. Tala is not a lovey-dovey person. Bryan is _definitely_ not a lovey-dovey person. Are you a lovey-dovey person, Spence?"Spencer shook his head no. "See?"

"Ugh, that's not what I meant. I _mean_ that couples are more affectionate towards each other in their own style fitting to their personality. I can see their love and protective care for their little brothers and sisters, but I can't see anything between _them_ now that I'm thinking about it." Tyson explained more clearly. Spencer remained out of the conversation, but he was impressed with Tyson yet again. The guy really exceeded the reputation the media and his friends alike set up for him.

"That's because, unlike you, your team, and all those other cocky Beybladers in the BBA, none of us make our personal lives public. Aside from the very limited—not to mention edited and censored—information about the Abbey the press has been allowed to release, there is barely any other kind of information about the Demolition Boys' involvement with the Abbey and beyblading team profiles on us. You can't even find our birthdays on Google. Well, you can find Kai's, but he doesn't count because he's not a Demolition Boy. You can deduce from this that Tala and Bryan not only prefer to keep the topic of their relationship mum, they require it from us and their relatives as well. It's rare that they're openly affectionate even then they're with us; I'm almost certain their siblings have only caught them kissing…what, four times the most? Considering how nosy and clingy those kids are and how long they've been together, that's not a lot."

Tyson nodded again, and the sudden reality of Ian words clicked in the teen's mind. Everything rang true. Tyson really _didn't_ know anything about the Demolition Boys aside from what he assumed and what Kai told the Bladebreakers. "That makes sense, I guess. I just find it difficult to picture because Tala's kind of an ass and Bryan's…kind of…a psychotic murderer in disguise." For the first time ever Spencer and Ian laugh at Tyson's confession and a grin tugged at the teen's lips. "Don't tell them I said that."

"Sure. You keep your mouth shut about knowing Tala and Bryan's secret romance and we won't tell them what you think of them…or about your make-out session with Kai." Spencer smirked, ignoring Tyson's cry of protest at the last part. He saw a figure walking out to the driveway of Kai's house and start up a car. He identified it as Vladimir, since the person didn't have a vibrant hair color. "Hey, I think Vlad's gonna head out. Y'know what we should do?"

A cynical and devious grin crawled on Ian's face. Tyson shuddered just looking at it. "Break into Kai's parents' booze stash?"

"You read my mind."

* * *

><p>While he knew that Kai, Tala, and their friends were more than mature and capable enough of staying without an adult for extended period of time and take perfect care of their siblings, Vladimir still didn't like having to leave them alone. After all, they were still teenagers, after all. And for that matter, they were teenagers that quarreled too easily. The butler shook those thoughts out of his head and breathed deeply to clear his mind. He knew he could trust Tala enough to not carry out an argument in front of his little fireball sisters. And Kai he could trust with anything. Having to watch over not only his beloved little cousin Dimitri but his teammate as well meant that Kai would go out of his way to stop any potential problems. This put the man's mind as ease.<p>

It was ten past ten in the evening when Vladimir finally pulled into the St. Petersburg airport. He drove through a couple of parking lots until he found a place to leave the car and went up to the arrival terminal. He walked past a couple of different travel agencies, check-in booths, until he made it to the little stores and kiosks area of the airport. Finally, he found the coffee shop he was looking for, and there he spotted Mrs. Hiwatari.

The jovial woman with light blue hair was paying for her drink and food, struggling to carry everything as well as her large purse while giving the cash over to the cashier. She was pleasantly surprised when Vladimir appeared behind her, taking her luggage from her. _"Vladimir, you're here!"_

"_I left as soon as I could. The children were put to bed and the boys were playing cards when I left."_ The man explained, waiting for the lady as she got her change. _"Tala and the boys came for a visit this morning. I'm making them stay the night until it's safe to drive tomorrow."_

A smile brightened Yuliyanna's expression. _"And Kaike's friend Tyson, he's doing ok too?"_ He smile widened even more when the butler nodded; she waved for him to walk with her to a small table to sit. _"Music to my ears. Oh Vladimir, you can't begin to imagine how happy I was when Kai came home with that boy. I know that he struggles to socialize with people his own age and that he gives this team of his in Japan a hard time, but to finally __**see**__ proof that he's letting his walls come down make me so happy. I swear I had to control myself when I met Tyson. I would've squeezed him to death when I hugged him if I hadn't."_

Vladimir chuckled contently at his employer's ramble. _"I can only imagine, Yuliyanna. It makes me happy to see that Kai is expanding his circle of friends as well. He needs more than just those crazy boys to talk to."_ He chortled humorously. _"How was your flight in?"_

Yuliyanna drank a large gulp of her coffee, waving her hand casually. _"Long, exhausting, and annoying thanks to a crying brat in the back of the cabin. How has the week been so far? Nothing too difficult to handle, I hope? Nikki, Andrei, and Nadiya send their regards, by the way."_

"_No, of course not. You know your children are role models for their age. How have matters been proceeding in Lyon? Is the case nearing a close?"_ There was hope in the man's voice and eyes that took a hit when Yuliyanna's merry smile from just moments ago dimmed.

"_Yes and no…Our accusation is as solid as ever, but now…they want Kai to take the stand."_ The hazel eyed woman frowned, putting down the biscuit she bought. _"The court asked for Kai to speak after Voltaire brought it up. They also want three witnesses to speak for Kai's behalf to determine how innocent or how guilty he is."_

"_I see…but it's not like we hadn't imagined this before. We knew very well that they would likely ask for Kai to speak. We've been lucky it's been pushed back for so long."_

"_And he wouldn't __**have**__ to speak if it weren't for that bastard of a man I have to call my father-in-law."_ Yuliyanna spat, glaring at her drink wearily. _"His obsession with my son is sickening; he still hasn't let him go. He just doesn't give up."_

Vladimir frowned a little as well, trying to cheer up the woman's mood. _"Yuliyanna, you know that Voltaire can't come anywhere near your son anymore. He's already lost this war, he's simply trying to play mind games with you now."_ The man said to her, frown deepening when she didn't reply.

"_Vladimir, do you think I'm a bad parent?"_

"_P-pardon?"_ The butler fumbled, surprised when they woman with long, periwinkle-blue hair quickly wiped a tear that rolled down her face. His heart ached when he saw the young woman's fear in her eyes. "_Yuliyanna dear, don't—."_

The woman took a deep breath to compose her wavering voice and calm her tears before they fell. _"I let a deranged psychopath take my son away from me once. And now that I finally have him back there's a chance I might lose him again. Not to Voltaire specifically, but to the judicial system and the world. The entire country thinks that my boy is a trained, heartless killer that supported a man who could very-well be considered this generation's dictator. They fear him. They think he's a monster. And I'm helpless to do anything to keep him from hearing these horrible things because I let him slip away from me. And now that we can finally be a family again, Interpol could give a ruling that makes him go to prison or some other punishment that keeps him from me for who-knows how long. I was so busy with my work to make a name for myself and be a better provider for Kai that I neglected to raise him at all and Voltaire took him from me. I'm the worst mother on the planet!"_

Vladimir placed his hand on top of woman's and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. _"You can't blame everything that happened on yourself, Yuliyanna. We all made mistakes that resulted in what happened. What's done is done, and the best thing we can do now is permanently place Voltaire and Boris behind bars to give Kai and the other Balkov Abbey victims the justice they deserve."_ He gathered Yuliyanna's luggage and stood for them to leave—he noticed their presence was starting to attract some attention and some people recognized Yuliyanna from the news. _"And we can start by recruiting those witnesses you mentioned. Did you and Nikolai have anyone in mind?"_

Yuliyanna followed Vladimir as they left the café and headed back to the parking lots for the car. _"Yes, we made a call to Stanley Dickenson and he agreed to speak as a witness for Kai. We haven't really thought of anyone else as of yet. The judge gave us a rather difficult rule to follow. The witnesses must be three and only three, and they cannot be anyone from the family or involved with Balkov Abbey."_ She explained, taking another drink of her coffee. _"That's another reason I've come back for a day. I'm hoping that I can find someone's name in those dozens of boxes of court papers we have in the basement."_

"_If there's any way that I can be allowed to testify for Kai, you and Nikolai know that I am more than willing to do so."_ The butler informed her, and she thanked him. The two walked in comfortable silence to the car before Yuliyanna spoke again.

"_Vladimir…am I a bad person for wishing that what happened to my son could've happened to someone else instead?"_

Vladimir smiled softly, shaking his head. _"No, Yuliyanna. No mother ever wishes for something terrible to happen to their child. If it does, they always wish to take it away."_

* * *

><p>"Go fish!"<p>

"Bryan, this is not _Go Fish_, this is _Scrabble_. C'mon man, I know you're not delusional drunk yet."

"Fuck you, man, I call the game what I want, and I'm whateva kind of drunk I wanna be!" Bryan growled back at Ian, waving a playing piece in the viper's face. He dramatically raised his hand and slammed it down on the playing board. "Yahtzee!"

"Dude, I just told you it's Scrabble, you drunk retard!" Ian snorted a laugh. Bryan glared at him and promptly shoved him five feet to their right into the couch, not caring if he hurt the boy or not.

"I fucking _know_ its Scrabble, dumbass; the word I spelled is 'Yahtzee'." To prove his point, he pointed to the word on the board. "Call me a drunken retard again and see what happens!"

"Guys, be quiet, you're going to wake up the kids if you keep yelling." Lying down beside Tyson on the couch was Kai. The phoenix hugged a pillow to his stomach and had his eyes shut, drifting in and out of sleep while watching both TV and his former teammates play board games. He wasn't participating because the Demolition Boys stated that if you wanted to play you had to drink, and he was in no way feeling well enough for booze. While his stomach settled and he felt much better as opposed to that morning, Kai knew better than to tempt his luck. Tyson, on the other hand, refused to play because he refused to take part in under aged drinking, so he sat watching late-night Russian reruns of cartoons such as _Cow and Chicken_, _Johnny Bravo_, and _Courage the Cowardly Dog_ to name a few titles.

"As you wish, Sleeping Beauty," Bryan acidically teased. _"Maybe you should bitch less about us and translate more for your Prince Charming over there. Who's he trying to fool, pretending he actually knows Russian?"_ The lavender-haired falcon cackled. Kai gave him the middle finger and rolled over so that his back faced the boys, snuggling into the couch. Tyson, having caught this exchange from the corner of his eye, glanced curiously between the two before turning his full attention to the game.

The world champion could help but feel a bittersweet nostalgia hit him as he watched the Demolition Boys play the children's game. Despite disapproving of their indulgence in alcohol, their intoxication helped them loosen up a little more from their mean, uptight-selves. Now they were mean, uptight, and a little funny. Looking past everything to the little alcohol-induced glee the Demolition Boys demonstrated Tyson saw ghosts of his family in them.

Before the Bladebreakers, family game nights were a common thing in Tyson's household. It happened once a week, generally towards the weekend. They were his mother's idea. Everyone would split into groups of two. Tyson, naturally, always joined his mother. His elder brother Hiro usually joined Grandpa G, because their father liked to be the lone hero and try to win the game by himself. And while Tyson had almost no memory of her, his parents always said that his Grandmother would team up with Grandpa G and Hiro with his father before she passed away. They'd play for hours, sometimes a dozen games, sometimes one. The family game nights became a thing of the past when his mother passed away. She was the one that created them, and it just felt wrong to play without her. After Mrs. Granger passed away, the family fell apart. Tyson's dad embarked on out-of-the-country archaeological studies and excavations that, at first, didn't last longer than a month, but grew to last more than years as time went by. As soon as Hiro graduated high school, he too chose to get his degree in archaeology and did so out of the country. Left alone, Tyson was taken under Grandpa G's wing to be cared for. His childhood home, a void to the family, was sold. And since then, he hadn't picked up a single Scrabble piece or Juno card to play.

Spencer was very much like his Grandpa G, always thinking before taking action, and the booze even made him say funny things from time to time that made no sense at all. Ian was like how Hiro used to be back in the day, and now that he reflected on it a little like how he personally behaves now. Acting on impulse, going by his gut, and sometimes not thinking his plan through. It made him realize how much he and Hiro were alike around the same age, despite Hiro being more than six years Tyson's senior. Bryan, oddly enough, despite his smarts, was being a bit of a goofball thanks to the booze, and that peculiar mix reminded him of his dad when he tried beating everyone on his own. As for Tala, the booze didn't really make him talk more or say stupid things unless you got him started on a rant or in a conversation. He was just really calm and relaxed, and you could see he was enjoying himself. That reminded him of his mother. While she wasn't much of a talker, Tyson always knew his mom was happy to have the family get together once a week to let go of their troubles.

And to think that the Demolition Boys had this in them…to think that Kai had these guys as friends all this time…Kai didn't realize how lucky he had it. Tyson felt jealous. It was a dream that would never come true to have his family back together again, but an even greater desire to build a family out of both his remaining relatives and friends to create a family like the one he used to have. Here, Kai had it all, but for some reason he pushed it away. Did Kai even realize how lucky he has it, despite his dark childhood? Why did the guy insist on keeping a distance between himself and his friends and family?

"Napoleon!" Tala exclaims, reaching over Bryan's lap to try and reach the cat. The falcon saw Tala's struggle in reaching the feline but made no effort in try to help: even under the influence, these guys were still assholes. The wolf was not pleased. "I will shove my foot up your ass if you don't give me that pussy." The room burst into snickers; even Tyson hid his face behind a pillow as he laughed. "Give me that pussy, Bryan!" Tyson bit his lip. Tala _had_ to be drunk beyond his quota. There's no way the guy would purposely say that.

"Pussies are girl cats, Tala; Napoleon's a guy."

"All cats are goddamn pussycats you nitpicking, technical…you. Just give me the fucking cat." He slurred. Bryan finally helped and gave the redheaded teen the orange, white, and black feline. He grinned and held the cat over his head, still lying in Bryan's lap, making faces and noises at the cat. Yup, the world champion Beyblader safely assumed from that moment that Tala was one-hundred percent drunk. It was then that an idea dawned on him.

"Hey Tala, do you know why Kai named his cat Napoleon? And what's so funny about it?" The dragon inquired. The wolf scoffed.

"For the record, _I_ named this pussy. And I shall tell you why I named this pussy after the tiniest French Conqueror in history." The icy-eyed teen clarified with a hiccup. Tyson sat on edge for the answer, excited. "It's…it's because male calico cats, as you know, are sterile. They cannot make more sexy male or female calico cats because genetics and mother nature are both bitches. And…and Napoleon…hahaha, Napoleon…!" Tala fell into a fit of hysterics, dropping the cat and laughing. His laughter prompted some chuckles out of the Demolitions Boys. Tyson half-frowned, starting to get impatient.

"Napoleon what? What is it?" The teen asked, taking a guess. "Was he sterile?

"Don't you know anything about Napoleon's history?" The redhead cackled, laughing harder. "He might as well have been."

"Arrg, I don't get it!" At Tyson's frustration the Demolition Boys laughed more, and the huffing dragon turned to Kai for answers. "Kai, why's your stupid cat's name Napoleon?"

The phoenix didn't reply. In fact, it was only then that Tyson realized Kai fell asleep. The dual-blue haired teen's head was on Tyson's lap, cheek resting against Tyson's stomach, with sound, even breaths making his chest and the pillow on it rise and fall. Tyson's cheeks tickled pink at their proximity and somewhere in the back of his mind he remembered their kiss from that morning, but his emotions had been sorted out. He wasn't going to panic and get angry over the little things, but rather focus his energy on the big goals he set for himself: getting to know Kai better, making Kai smile, and now figure out why Kai didn't yell at him for their accidental kiss.

* * *

><p>Kenny knew that Tyson was many things. He was selfless, trusting, and forgiving toward his friends; stubborn and argumentative to get answers when he wanted it; all this and so much more. But there was one thing Kenny knew Tyson was not, and Tyson was not a snoop in private and serious business. The Chief knew that if Tyson understood enough to realize what he'd found, he never would have even sent the court document photos to him for translation.<p>

"Chi-ief!" Max shouted, running into the locker room in search of the short, brown haired boy with glasses. The competitive teen was dressed in sweats ready for a workout or training and shook his head in mocking disapproval when he saw that Kenny hadn't even changed yet. "Oh Chief, I promise that the guys and I won't put you in more awkward situations with Emily, honest! You have my word." The blue-eyed teen chuckled, crossing his fingers behind his back. When he saw that he still didn't have Kenny attention, he walked up to the boy and glanced over his shoulder. "Geez, would you and Dizzi give it a rest already? You're not talking to Tyson without me, are you? Or the others?" The happy and energetic American leaned over Kenny shoulder and his eyes scanned over the window that Kenny's eyes were glued to. Slowly but surely, his smile disappeared. "…Kenny, what is this?"

It was a moment before the brown-haired teen answered. "It's a court file from the Abbey case, straight from Kai's house. Tyson found it."

Another pregnant pause, one that felt longer than the previous. "But, Chief…Kai…there's no way…"

Kenny shut his laptop closed, storing Dizzi into his locker and placing a key-lock on it. "I don't know what to think, Max. But I do know that Tyson's not going to believe what he's just gotten himself into. We need to talk to him as soon as possible, and not mention this to anyone else; not even Ray or Hilary yet." He laughed dryly at the joke his mind just conjured. "We sent him to find some imaginary skeleton in the closet, and instead he stumbled across a murder story."

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><p><strong>VelvetSoulPanda<strong>- Tyson won't suddenly like Kai out of the blue: there's this thing called connection. They need to find it. Also, in case you're still curious about Napoleon the cat's name, that's not the full reason behind the joke. More on that…later!

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble, something wicked this way comes…(review for more!)


	11. Just You and I

A/n: At long last I found and saved the file with all my plot points and ideas and half-written chapter eleven for this story.

That's literally the reason why this has taken so long. No joke. ...Sorry.

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><p><strong>A Rumor in St. Petersburg<strong>  
><em>11 — Just You and I<em>  
>[Tyson's POV]<p>

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><p>Somewhere between a failed, drunken mac-and-cheese project, board games, and half-Russian, half-English told stories, I fell asleep in the family room with the oddly comforting presence of the intoxicated Demolition Boys and with Kai on my lap. I was absolutely drained from the days events, so after we finally got the toddlers to sleep I don't really remember much of what happened. Like I said, only the mac-and-cheese failure of a cooking project, for starters, because Spencer and Tala were booze-hungry and wanted it. I say disaster because the two of them made the mac-and-cheese explode in the oven.<p>

Let me recap for you, slowly: Tala and Spencer, some of the scariest people I know, made stove-top, _ready-made mac-and-cheese _in a pan on the stove and then baked it. Somehow, it exploded. And let me just say they must've made a whole lot of it, because there was still enough for the two of them to gorge on despite the mess they made.

Another aspect of the night—a highlight really—was their game of drunk scrabble. Now, reminder, that I wasn't too thrilled with their decision to drink from the Hiwatari bar and therefore didn't participate, but I'd be lying if I said that watching a bunch of lightweights drunkenly spell wasn't absolutely hysterical. For real. Bryan, despite having what I could guess was the highest tolerance of the bunch, start crying when he couldn't remember if 'pizza' had an 'e'. I swear I can't make this stuff up if I tried. They seemed to only be able to finish their game after midnight (I wasn't keeping track of time) and tried for a game of Uno Blast. They were so drunk they couldn't even complete one round. They just mocked and laughed and teased and giggled and insulted each other. I fell asleep with them recounting stories of when they were little, before the Abbey.

Of course I didn't forget Kai! Kai was present in the festivities of the after hours, but he barely took part in any of it. Between feeling sick most of the morning after rolling down a hill the length of a standard Olympic pool and being swamped for attention by the kids all afternoon, he was exhausted. I realized today that Kai meant a lot to them: the Demolition Boys, their siblings. Well, obviously, but what I mean is...I guess I got to experience it.

It's not just Dimitri that's head-over-heels for Kai. Aleksei, Lara, Viktor, these kids _adore_ him. They complete for his attention and want him to participate in the games they play. They tell them stories of what happened to them while he was away. They make drawings and little string bracelets for him in their arts and crafts moments. They're clingy, _Kami_, are they clingy. They're always hugging him or holding his hand or touching his hair or face-paint. They want to use his belongings and see his beyblade. And they miss him. It's so plainly _obvious_ that they miss him, and in their random, fleeting quiet moments, they never forget to tell him that they miss him.

It doesn't go unappreciated, because it's just as obvious that he misses them too. The kids, his friends here, his family. I've realized now that Kai is reserved and quiet by nature. It's like here in his house, he lets go of all his worries and lets his walls come down. He talks more, he emotes more. I swear up until four days ago I would swear on my life that Kai didn't have a sense of humor, or didn't know how to laugh. Here he doesn't get a moment's rest. I can see that the way he's had to divide his attention to ten people is wearing him down as much as an intense training day with the team. But he doesn't seem to mind it. It occurs to me that Kai is homesick.

When I realized it, it scared the _shit_ out of me.

What has the our team, the BladeBreakers, been doing to entice Kai to stick around? What have _I_ been doing? I know what the answer is: nothing. We've done nothing and we continue to do nothing. I mean sure, arguably, we saved Kai from the Abbey, and yes, arguably, he willingly joined and then re-joined out team. But we haven't made any effort in making him feel...I don't know...accepting isn't the best word for it, but something akin to that. I mean, between the initial five of us, Kai was the only one that didn't click right off the bat. And now, thinking back on it, we didn't really try that hard to help him fit in. Sure, he found his niche with us, but...damn, we've been assholes, now that I think about it.

I agreed to come on this trip to _spy_ on Kai! I've been sending detailed emails and of-the-moment texts to the team about our days! Kai has been nothing but welcoming to me. It's like Vladimir said, he's willingly and uncharacteristically decided to let me in on this side of his life and here I am, about to screw it up.

Needless to say, I felt even worse during my day yesterday. It wasn't until the end of the night, after the kids had finally been put to bed and I was sitting on the couch with him drinking hot chocolate that the feeling subsided. I put a hand on his mug, preventing a nasty spill all over his lap. "Careful, Kai." I chuckled lightly. He blinked in disbelief of his own carelessness, heaving a sigh of tiredness.

"Thanks, he murmured, taking a long guzzle at the drink as he relaxed into the couch. He sat Indian style, curling his toes under his butt and pulling one of the sheepskin blankets close by over him. He threw it over my lap as well. "Uh, Tyson, listen...I'm...I'm sorry I didn't really give you that much attention today. I didn't mean to ignore you, with what happened this morning. I'm not upset, it was my fault, I was just—."

I couldn't help but grin. Kai was apologizing. Badly, stumbled and all nerves, but apologizing. I bump my shoulder against his, coaxing him to look at me. "Hey, I get it. I'm not mad either. Accidents happen, right? We'll just pretend it never happened." I said in reference to earlier. "You don't have to apologize for spending time with your family. They haven't seen you in a while, it wouldn't be fair for me to take up your time with them. They...they missed you."

Kai had the uncanny ability to read people like a book. That was no different for me. He looked to his stumbling friends. Ian stood on the coffee table and I assume it was Katy Perry he was trying to sing. Or Kesha. I wasn't sure. Bryan and Tala had rolled away on the floor laughing. Before they completely left my line of sight, I saw Tala roll over Bryan and stay there. He wiped what must've been drool from his lip and kissed him. When he pulled away, Bryan pulled him back, and they were out of sight. Spencer was beat-boxing for Ian, but it was as bad as Ian's singing. Thankfully, they'd stopped drinking, and put evidence of the booze away.

"Is this what your family is like?"

"Was. Then it stopped." I admitted with ease. I didn't want to think to much about it. "And then I found a new family, and we're kind of like this too." Kai elbowed me at my corniness. "You know what'd be great though?" I prompt, putting his empty mug and mine away. "If we got the quiet guy to serenade us with some Disney songs." I laughed; I earned a smack for that one.

"Shut up, Tyson." He told me. My grin only widened, because he couldn't hide his grin. He laid down and stretched out on the couch, head on my lap, and told me to find something good to watch on TV. He was sound asleep in ten minutes. I realized then that if the Demo Boys were telling the truth, and Dimitri wasn't lying about Kai's desire to leave, that I was going to have to give him a reason to stay.

So I will. I decided then and there, making myself comfortable where I sat, that I was going to earn Kai's friendship, and give him reason to stay with us in Japan.

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><p>I wake up the next morning feeling much more well-rested than the past few days. It's funny. So far Kai and I have done one half-legitimate beyblade practice, but I'm more tired than I usually am back home on our training schedule. I was relaxed and <em>warm<em>. So warm! Not to complain that Kai's house is cold, but since I'm not from around these parts I'd personally dial up the thermostat a few notches. I drew a deep breath, mentally preparing myself to open my eyes, and two things became very clear to me. One, the scent I smelled was completely familiar: a cinnamon-clove woodsy smell. Familiar and comforting and the kind of smell you could breathe in forever. Two, my nose was tickled by hair. This leads to the conclusion that there's only one thing, er, person, keeping me as warm as I am.

I open up my eyes, and sure enough, there's a mess of light and dark blue hair in my face. How awesome...I just slept the entire night spooning with Kai.

...Hahaha, I wonder how many of his fans wish they could say THAT?

As funny as this was, it didn't stop me from blushing like crazy or that odd, uncomfortable feeling from the "oops-kiss" from yesterday. I mean, we mutually agreed that we wouldn't linger on what happened. I'm not...entirely. See, I wasn't bothered by it. At all. Like, I wasn't disgusted or anything. I was OK with it, all labels of it being an accident aside.

Is that weird? Is this normal?

I start racing through ideas on how to get out of this without waking up Kai. Oh, yeah, and by the way? First time I ever wake up before him. **First time**. Props to me. Anyway, yeah, right, getting out from behind Kai? Not gonna happen. He's hugging my arm. Hahaha gr_eeeeat_. Just when I think I'm going to have to wake him up, I hear hushed murmurs coming from down the stairs. I'm greeted with the smiling faces of Dimitri and Yuliyanna.

"G'morny, Tyson." The toddler smiles, waving at me from his aunt's arms.

"Good morning, Dimitri. Good morning, Yuliyanna." I end up blushing harder now that Kai's mom is witness to our current...er...situation. She simply gave me a sweet smile, whispering back a good morning as well. She set Dimitri down on the ground, who was eager to show me a picture he drew. It was me, him, and Kai walking all the dogs. He even wrote our names crudely in crayon, in Russian Cyrillic.

"For you." He told me, and I grinned stupidly.

"I love it." I reply, and I do. He couldn't be more happy about it. His attention, like mine, averted to his aunt Yulia waking up her son gently. She whispered to him, rubbing his cheek and getting him to let go of my arm. She ran her hand through his hair, eyes crinkling with her smile. I don't know what she was telling him, but she was making him whine and grumble and giggle like a stubborn kid that didn't want to get out of bed for school.

"Come, Kaike-bear, up, up. You're crushing Tyson." She coaxed a little more firmly now. Kai answered in Russian and she laughed, translating for me. "He just said he crushes you in beyblading all the time." Haha, did he now? Remind me again who's the world champ, Kai? That's right, me. "I just might have to help Tyson and show him my secret move." She threatened him. Without any warning she ripped the blankets off the two of us, pulled Kai down on the floor, and mercilessly began tickling him. Kai's laughter filled the room, followed immediately by Dimitri's. He joined his aunt and helped. I watched from the couch as the scene played out and nostalgia hit me. I don't know how I remembered it, or even that I had this memory, but I remembered me, my mom, and Hiro doing the same thing once upon a time.

"I'll meet you guys upstairs, I'm gonna go change." I excuse myself. I run into the bathroom for a shower before any of them get a chance to see my tears.

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><p>"Kai, have I ever told you that the <em>only<em> complaint I have about your house is we have to walk or drive really far to get anywhere?"

"You say that about everywhere you go. What kind of athlete are you?"

"A winner." I drop down in the snow and sit, winded. "Ok Kai, you win. I admit it. I am extremely out of shape since the world tournament." I pause to catch my breath. I look around when I don't hear my team captain. "Kai?"

"We're here!" He shouts, coming back up over the last small hill I've yet to face. He's dressed in his old white scarf, a gunmetal black parka lined with off-white fur, thermal pants under his dark jeans (why he decided to wear jeans in this freezing cold weather is beyond me), and black snow-boots with red and blue detailing. He runs through the snow with unparalleled ease, sliding down the last bit to stop right in front of me. He grins, nose and cheeks cherry pink. There's this childlike anticipation in his eyes and it's contagious. He's not wearing his blue triangles today (His mom smeared his 'war paint' on purpose and told him to give it a rest today) and it's like I'm meeting Kai for the first time again. Not because he's not wearing his triangles—although I admit I catch myself staring at him more often than I'd like to admit; it's such a pleasant change— but because with his mom home for the day and looking after Dimitri, and the boys having left long before we woke up, all his responsibilities were lifted from his shoulder. Kai was...dare I say it?

I think this is the closest I've ever seen Kai to our age. As close as his personality will allow, anyway.

"The lake's just over this little hill." He prods, reaching out and offering me his hand. I whine and frown. He mirrors the frown with some frustration. "Oh quit it, would you? You made it all the way here, just cross the finish line."

"Whatever, _sensei_." I scoff, and he hoists me up to my feet and pulls me along with him. When we reach the top of the hill I gasp. Loudly. An enormous lake meandered through the pine forest and mountain hills, disappearing at a bend into the tree line far off in the distance. The backdrop of the snow-capped mountains and forest was magnificent, and the frozen lake glistened from the sheen of the powdery snow and frost that the wind blew across it. Kai was barreling down the hill, too impatient to wait for me anymore. He dropped the backpack he brought with him at the shoreline and ran straight out onto the ice. "Kai, be careful!" I holler out, surprised at myself.

Whoa. Talk about role reversal.

"It's fine!" He shouts back as I make my way to the shore. I tentatively press my foot down on the ice. Solid as a rock. I put both my feet on and try more pressure. The ice doesn't even splint. Kai races back to me, sliding to a halt about a foot in front of me, winded but thrilled. "This lake is frozen solid eight months a year, give or take. I used to come out here all the time when I was a kid. Still do when I visit, at least once."

The sudden reveal catches me off guard. "O-oh. It's...it's beautiful out here." I admit, taking in the scenery once more. "Quiet."

"Yeah..." Kai agrees in the same tone of voice as mine. "Dangerous too. You get bears and wolves out here all the time."

"Coo—are you serious?!"

"Perfectly."

"A-are you in_sane_?!"

There's a shrug in his voice, "A lot of people think so."

I feel a hot flare of anger swell within me, and I can't even predict or control myself when I open my mouth next. "Don't say that." I scold him. I look down, nearly glaring, to where he's sitting and tying on a pair of ice skates to his feet. His crimson eyes shoot up to look at me through his bangs, shock at my reaction. "I was joking. Don't let anyone call you that."

I can't exactly tell what's going through his mind, but I struck a chord he chose to ignore using my favorite method of ignorance: sarcastic humor. "Tone down the hostility. I was kidding too." He offers. "Say, you're my shoe size, right?" He asks, pulling out from the bag a second pair of skates.

I shake my head and take a step back off the ice. "Uh listen, thanks but no thanks, Kai, I'd rather stand by and watch you. Aren't we supposed to be training or something?"

"We _are_, on the _ice_. Ice skating and beyblading go hand in hand."

"_IIII'm_ not really in the mood for—." He glares, his first serious glare at me in what feels like forever, and I frown a pout. "Kai, I," I sigh in shame, "I don't know how to ice skate." His glares melts away. The phoenix simply shakes his head and rolls his eyes at me, tossing me the skates regardless.

"Then put those on and I'll teach you, idiot."

This is going to sound stupid, because half the reason Kai even joined the BladeBreakers in the first place (according to Mr. Dickinson anyway) was for him to teach us skills we lacked that he possessed. But I've never felt like Kai's actually hands-on _taught_ us, y'know? It was all learn from what the opponent threw at you. Having Kai actually physically and literally hold my hands and teach me how to ice skate is different.

Good different.

"...Lean on your left foot and push out with your right diagonally. Do the same with the right. Good, keeping going. Keep your knees relaxed but your legs firm. Pretend like this is actual walking..." The same patience and care I've seen him give Dimitri and his other cousins he's giving me. Why is he never like this back home again? Oh right, we piss him off a lot. "Your balance is still off, you're all wobbly."

"I only started skating ever twenty minutes ago, cut me some slack." I complain, staring down at my feet with a vice grip on his hands.

"Pick a fixed point straight ahead of you and stare at it, like tunnel vision. That always helps regain balance." He advises. So I end up staring at him. He didn't notice, he was busy watching my footwork and making sure he wouldn't skate backwards into anything. Eventually I do regain my balance, and a smirk lifts the corner of his lips. He finally looks up, and in the brief moment we lock eyes we both turn away. I nearly lost my footing again but he held onto me.

"So...bears, huh? And wolves?"

"Yeah." He responds. "Mostly at night though, so we're fine."

Silence. The blades of our skates scrape ice, but nothing more.

"Have you spoken to the others these past few days?" He inquires tentively.

"Oh, ahm, not much. I haven't texted or emailed them in two or three days, I think."

"Oh. Alright."

Another pregnant pause.

"Listen, while we're out here...I should probably apologize for not giving you fair warning about what this trip was about. I know the others are off having fun and doing big things and babysitting isn't really—."

"Kai. I'm _having _fun. Honest." Bashfulness aside, I make sure he looks at me and sees the truth in me eyes. He seems relieved, and I swear he was maybe gonna smile if he hadn't tripped up on a chink of ice. He manages to regain his balance and hug me before we both fall. We both stood there completely still, getting over our mini panic attacks.

"My bad." He mumbles, head resting on top of mine. My brain processes what he says and I burst out laughing. To my delight, so does he. We spend hours out here on the ice. For the grand majority of it, Kai dances eight circles around me while I perfect my signature move: step, step, fall. It wasn't any easier when we launched our beyblades and began practice. I did catch on to what Kai mean about how much ice skating relates to beyblading, though. Immediately, in fact. I always kind of envied, mostly admired Dranzer's moves in the beydish. Here I was seeing the foundations of the technique, and how technical Kai got. It was pretty cool to see how detail-oriented he was. I hated the fact that he was yelling at me for doing such a poor job, but c'mon! Novice ice skater here, how am I supposed to focus on skating and blading?

I don't complain, though. I stand back quietly, listening to him talk about the physics and angles and mathematics behind even the most basic moves. To demonstrate, he himself mimicked Dranzer's moves. He'd race out far onto the ice, skates shredding fresh ice into the air on long and fluid turns. The _swish-swoosh_ they made when he spun in place, tight and loose circles alike. Kai one graceful ice skater. I feel stupid for not realizing how much his beyblading technique draws form skating. When I had Dragoon copy Dranzer, I was blown away by how much more speed and precision I was able to apply to my moves.

I hooted and hollared with joy. And, y'know, fell a couple of times. That's not my point.

We winded down from training and skating practice when the sun began to droop down in the sky. My fingers and toes are completely numb, despite the two-dozen socks on my feet and layers of gloves on my hands. Same goes for my face, but unfortunately there's no thermal face masks I can wear. It was just Kai and I on the ice, hands locked together, in rhythmic step skating lazy ovals. Left, right, left, right. Left, sniffle, right, left. I shudder, curling up as much as I possibly can while skating.

"Kai, I'm getting dizzy." I shiver, and if that wasn't enough of a hint that I'm freezing cold as well then I don't know what it.

"Just one more," He exhales, masking a shudder, "loop." He then does the unimaginable and lets go. I make grabby fingers and panic, a pathetic noise squeaking out of my throat. "You're doing great, don't lose balance!" He encourages, skating a few steps backward to the shore. "Just come straight to me, don't think about anything else."

Okay. Get to Kai. Kai is the goal. Kai is the end of the level, like in Super Mario World. _Blip-Bleep!_ Just look at Kai, Tyson. Look at Kai...Kai is looking at me like I might fall. Let's not blow this, I can do it. Kai looks...actually, he looks kind of worried that I might fall. I've never seen that look on him before. In fact, he seems so expressive today. I should get him to wear the triangles less, that's what's happening here. I'd never noticed the crinkle at the corner of his eyes when he smirked or grinned with mirth or sarcasm. And on that note, he tends to grin with the left side of his lips more than the right. He's got a dimple in his cheek on that side. With his nose and cheeks frostbitten rose-colored the way it is now, it makes him look a little like Dimitri.

Four strides is all it takes for me to slide into Kai's arms. He catches me in a hug that I return. Unlike last time, I feel more confident in my balance and have no need to linger. Unlike last time, I do. Kai gives hugs. _Kai's_ hugging _me_.

And I'll be damned, Kai give good hugs.

"I like you more like this," There goes my mouth, talking faster than my brain can stop to double-check it. "The way you are just you and I, and with your folks." I lift my face up from his jacket, and shake my obnoxious bangs out of my eyes to smile up at him. He's blushing. It's funny and cute all the same. He averts his crimson gaze from me, pursing his lips tight to, for once, _control_ his expression. He smacks my hat down over my eyes and lets me go. It doesn't even hurt when I fall back on my ass anymore.

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it." He promises. He knows as well as I do that it's an empty promise. "Let's go, it's getting late." My adrenaline's racing. My heart's pounding like crazy. For the first time all day I feel warm from head to toe. Why is that? I've cracked Kai's shell.

And I want nothing else but to get closer to him.

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><p>An: Uh...I don't have a whole lot to say here. Review if you still read? If you're still in this fandom? Sorry for the unexpected long-ass hiatus. I'm still gonna see this story through.

Personal fact? I don't like the new beyblade spinoffs. Like, at all. I gave them a try but...meh.

#OriginalBeybladeForever


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